Ode to a Trash Can

 I have very good memories of after-school talks with my fellow teachers. There have been moments of hilarity, true heart-sharing (maybe tears), and, on occasion, just silent togetherness.

We have gathered camellia blossoms from the house across the road, roamed around outside watching a tornado in the distance, removed and hid desk drawers from an unsuspecting teacher’s desk, given (perhaps unwanted?) advice on how to make iced coffee, and decorated an entire classroom with string and old fabric pieces. That last one ended rather badly. Mr. Hiebert, Mrs. Faircloth, or used-to-be Miss Koehn can give you the details if you really want to know.

But there was one afternoon we did something a little different.

It was program time and the microphones had been set up for the impending performance. That day, the after-school meeting turned into an impromptu talent show. There were recitations and solos. Some were more adept than others at standing in front of a mic and performing to a nearly-empty auditorium. I can’t tell you everything that happened that day, but I do remember one item in particular.

It was an ode to the school trash can. There were grand gestures and eloquent words in regards to the faithful steadfastness of said object. The years of service were lauded in passionate phrases, the patient suffering at the hands of messy children was commented upon, and the red roundness of the sturdy lid was praised. It was a creative display of improvisation at its finest. I wish someone had taken down the ode as it was first uttered. But magical moments are rarely captured in their entirety for posterity.

I was thinking about the trashcan again today. There have been many times, upon depositing garbage in a receptacle, that I have remembered the day of the ode and smiled to myself. But the true value of the ode only just dawned on me.

Taking time to notice and value something commonplace still affects my thoughts years later. It’s not a big deal, right? Just a humble trash can. But because someone once pointed out all the good a trashcan does, I now am less likely to take one for granted.

This is why it is so important to pause and take notice of other things around us, too.

Sometimes these things may seem tiny. Perhaps it’s the way the dew hangs on a spiderweb and makes you catch your breath at the delicate drops suspended there. Maybe it’s a certain cloud in the sky that’s colored in a way you’ve never seen before. Or it might be noticing the particular notes of a birdsong that make you smile as you walk to your car. It could be something as unglamorous as your favorite dishcloth, the one that is so satisfying to use.

What happens when you take time to actually appreciate these things? You remember them longer. You hold a moment of happiness in your heart for the day. Your thoughts are turned toward the Creator.

If you’re like me, you can get lost in your own head sometimes. You might forget to take note of the world around you because there’s a chore list of unreasonable length you’re trying to work your way through. Sometimes your fears, doubts, and negative self-talk are so rampant you completely forget to look outside yourself, and those little moments of sunshine slip past, entirely disregarded.

It takes conscious effort to live grounded in the moment. You may have to practice to learn to notice the creation around you, and that’s OK. The important part is that you put in the effort.

And what if we extend this to bigger things?

What happens when you take time to appreciate people around you? When you stoop down and look into a child’s eyes and relish the sparkle as they tell you a story? What about the moment you notice someone that always has good things to say about others, or the person who is quick to volunteer when there is a need?

Taking notice of these things will stick with you, too. It will help you to see others in a more positive light. You will find that you don’t ever quite view them the same as you have in the past. When you are tempted with a negative thought towards them, you can remind yourself of the good you have noticed.

But finding the positives in those around us might be the most challenging exercise of noticing yet.

I have special memories of a night spent laying on a blanket looking at the stars with friends while we went through the whole youth group and each said something we appreciated about every member of it. I have notebooks stashed away with lists of my students and the things I liked about them. There are even a few lists of schoolboard members and the gifts I noticed as they did their best to fill their place.

Taking time to notice and internalize the many wonders around us and the blessings we notice in others are important components to learning to balance the internal and external. Maybe you find it easy to get stuck in your feelings. Finally, everything inside is one big tangled ball of confusion. Taking a moment to say facts you can be sure of can be stabilizing. Verbalizing the things you observe helps you to take up space in the present.

I believe appreciating the mundane and recognizing value in the miracle of God’s creation is another way to honor and praise our Creator.

So I challenge you to slow down and look for those things around you that you can thank Him for, even if it’s an ode to a trash can.