The Lawsons did Dallas!

31 May 2006

Well friends, I'm happy to say that I had a personal break-through today...an Oprah "ah hah moment" of sorts. I finally have freedom from poo! Dog poo...
If I don't talk to you on the phone regulary, then you might not know that there are three things that really get my blood pressure pumping: drivers who beep at ladies pushing baby carriages, rap music, and people who don't pick up after their dogs. Unfortunately, our apartment complex houses an abundance of each.
The poo problem was getting exceedingly bad, however. First someone let their dog poop on our steps and didn't pick it up (I thought I was a target, but then figured that if I was a target, it would have been in a flaming bag), then someone left a humungazoid load o' crap right in the middle of the sidewalk! Let me tell you, I ran right through that pile with the front tire of my baby jogger...I was ready to hunt and kill. Hunt and kill. The final straw came a few days ago, when I walked around the side of my car to get James and there was a big, steaming turd sitting right there on the curb! I felt my usual rush of anger and lost all of my judgement. There I was, all alone in the parking lot...hands held high above my head (in that why God, why? position), yelling things like, "c'mon...be nice!...you can not be serious!...scoop the poop you a-head!" I wanted to spice up my monologue a little bit more, but my 13 months old was watching, and listening very closely.
When Jared got home that night I was making dinner. I was still so angry about the curb poop incident that I was cooking in a very aggressive manner...clanging the pots and pans all around, slamming the oven door...the whole nine yards. Jared finally aksed me what was going on and I told him the whole story. After I finished, we just sat there in silence for a minute or two, taking it all in. I eventually aked, "how do you do it, Jared? How do you have such inner peace when you're surrounded by so many poops?" His answer was so simple, yet so profound. He said, "Amy, I see the load and I think to myself...oh, there's some poo, don't want to step in it!" I was like, "what? That's it?! You just try not to step in it?!" Jared nodded...he's really a simple man.
Fast forward to the moment today...I was walking to get the mail and I crossed over a little, grassy patch right in front of the boxes. I scanned the lawn and I found myself doing it again...."Jared..look....there's one, two, three, and a teeny one....three and a half dog doos!" When I turned to make exasperated eye contact with Jared, he was just standing there looking so content. That's when I had my moment....I thought to myself...oh wow, there's a lot of poop, don't wanna step in it.
And that was that...I've let my anger go.