Letting Go of My Garbage

Posted on by Wynne Leon

Walking my dog, Cooper, in the morning takes me by my neighbor who is continually upgrading his garbage situation.

First it was a sign that said something like,

“Do not put your dog poop in this garbage can.
(I have a dog so I already have plenty.)”

He leaves his garbage can next to the sidewalk instead of up by his house like most others in the neighborhood. Clearly this has become a stinky problem for him. But as he notes, he already has a dog so it must be a matter of degree. Which is not to minimize the undesirable problem of other people’s poop.

The sign must not have worked because just this week I noticed he built an enclosure for his garbage can with a rod iron fence. I’ve got to say – he really does beautiful work. Watching this progression on a daily basis, it finally dawned on me that this is a fantastic metaphor in action.

For me, flexibility is when I get let go of my own garbage instead of locking it up. It’s the ultimate form of resilience when I can get myself off of whatever hooks me. It’s ridding myself of the attachment, in Buddhist parlance. Then I’m free to address the issue directly.

I think about all the things my attention gets hooked on – the political news on tv, the tension between two teammates at work, the thing I can’t figure out about WordPress, the lack of responsiveness from a friend. It’s everything I sink more energy in than its worth.

The two times I most apt to be reminded of what has hooked me are when I walk the dog and when I meditate. The best cure I’ve found is to notice and then to laugh. To find the flexibility to get myself loose before the hook gets set deep into my flesh and I’m being reeled in.

Really? I’m going to double-down and lock my garbage up? Nah…not this time.

(featured photo from Pexels)

35 thoughts on “Letting Go of My Garbage”

  1. You are uniquely observant, Wynne. And clearly, one way to change your life is to get in the habit of changing your perspective. Mountain climbing can’t hurt. Uh, well, maybe that’s not the best example!

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    1. I’m laughing about the mountain climbing, Dr. Stein. I’ve been watching The Man Who Skied Down Everest a little bit in the evenings and just got to the part where the icefall collapsed and killed 6 sherpas. Definitely challenges perspective and choices, doesn’t it?

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  2. Getting ourselves off whatever “hooks us”. Gosh…I like that tidbit of self-awareness. That’s the starting point for me most of the time…when I’m perturbed. And your neighbor? I love iron work artistry…but there’s more to life than garbage enclosures! 😉

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  4. Great metaphor, Wynne. We’ve all got to weed through the garbage in our lives and see what to get rid of, recycle, or hold on to. We all have things that get under our skin, but I am amused that your neighbor is building an enclosure for his garbage.

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    1. I love both the humorous and empathetic nature of your response, Pete. Yep, we all need to weed through our garbage. But yes, I’m amused he built an enclosure as well – amused with full acknowledgement that I get hooked too! Thanks for the great comment!

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  5. Locking up my garbage is a pretty shitty way to navigate the world. I would know. I’ve been there. It stinks, and it smells bad, too.

    Yeah, I’m learning that the best way to protect myself from other people’s shit is to regularly make sure my own garbage is empty.

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  6. That’s a funny analogy and a strange neighbor! We have strict codes about where we can keep our garbage bins. On vacation, I had a neighbor take charge of my bins and he didn’t put one away properly. We got a letter in the mail warning us that we’d be fined next time!

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  7. Letting go for me is powerful. I have a rule with my neighbors. I keep my garbage can in the garage until the day before it’s picked up. Once it’s at the curb if anyone has any extra garbage (or recycle if that one is out) they can feel free to fill up my cans. Since I live alone, I rarely if ever have full bins.

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  8. If I start locking up my garbage, I give you permission Wynne to set up an intervention for me!!! Ha, ha. But yes, we all have our garbage that we hold onto. But I like what you say, “To find the flexibility to get myself loose before the hook gets set deep into my flesh and I’m being reeled in.” Yes, I need to work on making sure the hook doesn’t reel me in too. The things that cause me problems tend to the be the little things, the rules that haven’t been followed, the stupid slights that I keep close to the vest. Definitely have to work on them. Ha, ha.

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      1. I’ve been trying to use this as barometer: how silly will I feel if I have to tell someone else that it got under my skin. Kind of stupid … but it’s worked. The more silly I feel, the easier it’s been lately to let the crazy irritation go. Sometimes anyway. Ha ha

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  9. What a powerful exercise it is to “notice and then to laugh”. I often find myself doing the same. No need to give a ton of attention to the garbage. Just leave it be and let it go. Great reminder today, Wynne!

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  10. Funnily enough, I just put out the bins for tomorrow’s weekly pickup and there is absolutely this feeling of joy and of a weight being lifted off our shoulders – to let it all go forever.

    So metaphorically, yes I’m with you Wynne. Dont lock it up. Let it all go, stink and all!

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  12. It is amazing what you notice on your sojourns, and this puts a smile on my face – “The best cure I’ve found is to notice and then to laugh. To find the flexibility to get myself loose before the hook gets set deep into my flesh and I’m being reeled in.”

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  15. Having nothing to do with much of anything, your post reminds me of times when I’d rake piles and piles of leaves to the curb, only to discover later that neighborhood kids had had a heyday scattering them from kingdom come and beyond while I wasn’t looking. After re-raking them back into submission, I stuck warning sign nearby: “Caution: leaf pile contains dog poop.” Problem solved.

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