wiggle room

The other day I was talking with a friend when I heard myself say, “we all need a little room to wiggle from time to time”. The conversation went on, as conversations do, without much thought about the phrase. But then much later, it floated back into my head, attached to an image of a naked toddler wiggling to music - yes, really; that was where my head was on a rainy Sunday afternoon. But it made me think about the validity of that statement.

Sure, there are absolutes, times when for different reasons there can be no wiggle room, but for the most part as I have gotten older, I have allowed for more flexibility.

As a parent, I used to come down pretty hard on our young children when they made mistakes. Now they are older (and I am older), and they still make mistakes occasionally, but I worry less about the transgressions and more about the learning. I have allowed myself the space needed to consider the education that comes with an error.

As a shopper, I also appreciate a little wiggle room. When I was younger, those pants one size too small would have their way with me and I would promise myself that I would drop the five pounds that would make them fit perfectly. I no longer do that. In fact, I give myself a wide berth for the probability that I will be gaining - not losing - those five pounds.

I am a bit of a stickler about being on time. Some might even call it anal, and it used to drive me crazy when others were late. I have loosened my grip on this too, not intentionally, but for my own piece of mind.

And speaking of peace of mind - it’s March, and that means vacation wiggles, extra time for just that, and new growth wiggling from the thawing ground. Hurrah.

Anyone who has seen my car will attest that I need room to maneuver when it comes to parking. And like my car, I find it’s just easier to live in a world where there is room to wiggle, and it’s so much more enjoyable to wiggle than to walk rigidly through this journey that is life.