The Trouble with Goggles

The trouble with goggles is they are a pain.

As a mom I spend most of my time poolside fixing, adjusting, or finding the protective eyewear of my children. Goggles are a pain.

We wear goggles to protect our eyes underwater and to see clearly all the awesomeness that lies beneath the waves. But goggles are a pain.

Goggles leave imprints on our faces and red marks that take time to fade. Goggles are a pain.

Here come’s my metaphor. Like goggles, there are many protective efforts that we can take that are a pain. We should wear sunscreen and eat healthy foods. We should avoid alcohol, tobacco, sugar, fat, aerosol sprays, too much sun, too little fresh air, and overexposure to the internet (please keep reading my post :)). We need to educate ourselves on the programs that run our society and have awareness about those running for office. They might be our leaders someday. We have to talk to our kids and family members about the dangers of the world. All of these things can be a pain.

Here are the lessons goggles teach us about protecting ourselves from the dangers of the world:

 Finding solutions (like goggles) can be a pain and hard to find the right fit for the situation. If we try to figure out the best fit, our experience will be so much better.

 When we find the right solution, we are able to see clearly all the awesomeness that lay beneath the waves of turmoil and frustration.

 No two pair of goggles fit the same, so there probably isn’t a solution that will fix all of our problems and we need to be accepting of the differences in each goggle wearer.

 Sometimes the ugliness that we find with our solutions (a.k.a. goggles) has to be faced and addressed. This is a pain but we need to do it.

 The efforts we experience to find the right solution can leave their mark on us. The physical and emotional scars brought on by fighting the good fight make us who we are. They are not always permanently visible, but we always harbor them in our memories, and hope they will fade (like goggle marks) as we grow in this big beach party we call life.

Take time to find your googles today. Find a way to see things clearly where you were troubled before. Make an effort to right a wrong or adjust an uncomfortable situation. Put energy into finding a way to get past the waves, and your intent will definitely be clear and positive.

By: Melanie A. Peters