After Christmas there is always a myriad of boxes needing to be discarded. Have you ever noticed how a small child is often more interested in playing with the empty boxes than with what came in the box? I find it entertaining to watch an imaginative child create things out of an empty box. Sometimes a child will crawl into a box too small to hold them and get stuck. Thinking about them trying to get out of a box made me think of how we as adults also get stuck in boxes.
Are we sometimes stuck in a box that we have outgrown? Do use our “boxes,” t as an excuse to not try new things? Is there sometimes a false sense of security in our boxes?
If we all took the shape of the boxes we are hiding in, it might prove not only interesting but humorous. If I had my choice of a box to be stuck in I would want one that held a huge chest type freezer. That should give me plenty of room to move around. But would it give me any more opportunity to grow? Perhaps an expandable one would be a better choice.
We have a friend who doesn’t like to travel. He is perfectly content to stay at home, but his wife likes to travel. She teases him about getting “out of his box” and trying different things. This isn’t easy for many people, probably most people.
Another friend made the following comment on her blog: “If you don’t get out of your box, how will you know how many other boxes are out there waiting to be explored.” This is a woman who travels frequently, tries different things, and finds life challenging and fun. She has moved in and out of many boxes and her experiences have made her an interesting woman to be around.
What about the rest of us? Are we willing to step out of a secure place into the unknown, just to experience something different? When I went back to school at the age of 45 to become a nurse a friend told me I was “lucky” to be able to do that. Well, I didn’t think luck had anything to do with it. My thought on that is: “luck is nothing more than being prepared when the opportunity presents itself.” This was something I wanted to do, so I stepped out of my box and worked toward it. I had to apply for a scholarship for the financial help I needed, another step out of the box. I’ve never regretted those steps.
Other times I have cowered in a corner, probably pulled my blanket up over my head, and very likely missed many opportunities. My box can be overly comfortable. And I have found that the older I get the harder it is for me to face change. My box seems secure enough and exciting enough for me.
I guess I didn’t realize how many of our population are stuck in boxes until the recent controversy over the color of the Coke cans. Coke, in deciding to change their can color from red to white, caused a lot of discomfort in boxes throughout the nation. Because of the outcry over this, Coke went back to red cans, discarding the white ones, and everyone went back into the safety of their own box.
Many boxes out there must be fastened with both baling twine and duct tape, and are holding people as hostages! It is too bad that more of us can’t break loose and venture forth, if for no other reason than to find another box. And I’m sure we could all find plenty of boxes in dumpsters right now. But if you are looking for another box, better check and see how you feel about a different color.
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