“The trouble with the rat race is even if you win, you’re still a rat.” –Lily Tomlin
And if you lose, you’re a loser-rat. Either way is not great.
The metaphor of the rat race as a way to talk about the nature of contemporary life is instructive. I wonder what is its origin? And just what is a rat race? I picture a maze in some scientific laboratory with a dozen rodents scrambling in all directions trying with great frustration to find their way to freedom. Is that a rat race? Did anyone tell the rats they were in a race? Is there really a winner in a rat race?
That we should choose this metaphor as a way to talk about the way we live our lives is…what? Alarming? “Well, I’ve got to get going and join the rat race.” You do?
The metaphors we use not only reflect the way we live, but create the way we live. If we call life a rat race, it will tend to become one.
So let’s change metaphors. Here are a few suggestions:
Life is a cat prowl.
I envision slow and careful steps, a calm awareness of what is going on in my neighborhood, and a pace that suits my needs.
Life is a dog walk.
I move now with lively interest, with stoppings and goings, encounters with other dogs, trees, and people, and always ready to respond to a friendly petting.
Life is a fox trot.
Here is a bouncy-stepped way to dance through life. Find a partner! You can always sit the next one out.
Life is a monkey march.
Life is a pony canter.
Life is a whale watch.
Life is a swallow soar.
Life is a pig parade.
Life is an elephant lope.
Life is a bear excursion (the one I’d pick).
At the beginning of the new year, it’s a good moment to pick your metaphor for life’s journey during 2005.
To explore this topic further we recommend…Stopping: How to Be Still When You Have to Keep Going
Everyday Serenity: Meditations for People Who Do Too Much
Quiet Mind: One-Minute Retreats from a Busy World
About the Author...
David Kundtz is a writer, speaker, and family therapist in Berkeley, California. David has worked as an ordained minister for 16 years and family therapist for over 40 years. Visit www.stopping.com read more about what David has to offer.
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