Whack~A~Mole December 8, 2011
Posted by nrhatch in Humor, Mindfulness.trackback
Remember that carnival game with mole heads that pop up from holes littering the landscape?
As fast as you slam one mole on the head with the cheesy mallet you’ve been given by the barking barker, another pops up.
You whack IT.
WHACK!
IT disappears.
A new IT appears.
You dispatch IT to the nether regions . . . WHACK!
Another IT appears.
WHACK!
Another.
WHACK!
Aah . . . that’s better. Now I can relax into the moment and . . .
WHACK!
As Roseanne Roseannadanna used to say, “Well, Jane, it just goes to show you, it’s always something ~ if it ain’t one thing, it’s another.”
If we wait until we’ve dispatched all the ITs in our In Box before we get around to embracing THIS moment, we’ll become increasing stressed and anxious because the “moles” of life are relentless.
She’s right. It IS always something.
If it’s not one thing . . . it’s another.
Taking a moment to breathe, relax, de-stress, and recharge our batteries in the middle of whacking the ubiquitous moles and molehills around us works wonders to improve our focus, awareness, concentration, and enjoyment of the game of life.
WHACK!
Aah . . . that’s better!
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Spirit Lights The Way 
Very accurate analogy. You never know where the the problems are going to pop up from, and sometimes you can try to “whack” them and miss.
Exactly. What we worry about rarely happens . . . instead, we are blindsided by Sneaky Petes. 😉
My favorite version of that game was called WaniWani in Japan, and you whacked crocodiles instead of moles. I loved it because I could take all my anger, aggression and stress out on those poor plastic creatures. I often found myself wandering to the one that was just outside a local game place and whacking away so that I could face the real life “moles” with a better attitude. Of course, being one of very few foreigners meant that I gathered a crowd, which made me whack even harder. 😉
The image of you whacking crocodiles with the “natives” gathered around to watch is priceless. 😆
So right – WHACK!ing IT over the head is the answer to exactly nothing… better far to sit, breathe, enjoy a latte while watching IT jump around in a vain effort to get your attention 😀
That’s it! Once we step back, we see that the moles can manage just fine without us . . . and we manage much better when we aren’t distracted by the constant pressure to “perform.”
Don’t just whack~a~mole . . . sit there! _/!\_
I love this analogy. My sons were the kings of whack a mole in their younger days!
It’s a great way to win fabulous gifts and exciting prizes on the Midway of the State Fair. . . but it’s an exhausting way to deal with the daily challenges we face in “real life.”
If I have ever read a a comment that was directed at a single person then this 1 was directed at me. how did you know that I’m having trouble with my isp? everything is going crazy here. I hope I can post today or tomorrow. hang on and I will be back some day. posting from my phone is far too difficult. in any event I love this post. it is so very true.
I wondered where you’d run off to . . . had no idea that you were tilting at and battling with isp windmills. Until things get sorted out, remember to Keep Breathing!
Life constantly amazes me how many chances it gives me to get it right! Aha, but there’s the challenge…the tlipsis. There’s that danged word again, Nancy! 😀
Here’s to smoothing out our sharp edges (so we don’t get snagged on the underbrush). 😉
Nancy, I have a totally inappropriate story about how I used to handle moles – real ones. When I was a toddler, we had a sweeping country yard. I could play in varying spots and feel like I was visiting other countries. Urges happen, naturally. Rather than wander inside to relieve them, I dropped trow and went in the mole holes. I suppose that is one way to whack them. 🙂
Wonderful memory, Andra.
Necessity . . . the mother of invention . . . led to development of “The Necessary.”
Indoor plumbing when we are indoors. When out of doors . . . drop your drawers!
Love the analogy, not that we have that game here – we don’t have moles (only the on-the-skin type).
Reminds me of the movie that has a little mole making holes on a golf course – can’t remember the movie title, but I remember the mole.
Not a mole . . . a GOPHER!
No! Not a GOLFER . . . a GOPHER! 😀
And the movie is Caddyshack, starring Chevy Chase, Bill Murray, Rodney Dangerfield, and Ted Knight.
With a song by Kenny Loggins . . . “I’m alright. Don’t nobody worry about me. You’ve got to give up the fight. Why don’t you just let it be?”
OOOOPS!!!!!!!!!! 😆
Oh well – hey – they both dig holes!
I’m not yelling at you . . . those are lines from the movie. 😉
The head groundskeeper has a strong Scottish brogue. When he says, “I need you to kill all the gophers,” Bill Murray hears “I need you to kill all the golfers.”
No! Not GOLFERS . . . GOPHERS! 😆
This morning I found myself saying “aah, that’s better” after finishing a chore and thought of you. It does feel better to repeat the phrase. LOL. I used to “whack” my stressful moments when I worked, by stopping whatever I was doing during my workday and sneak to the chapel in the building and medidate even if it was for 10 minutes.
The mole analogy is going to stay in my mind, it’s a good one!
Thanks, Marie. Glad that the phrase and the mole analogy both resonate with you.
Taking a few moments to breathe, pray, or meditate in the middle of the day is an effective way to regroup and recharge . . . so we don’t end up WHACKing our head against the wall in a futile effort to change what is not ours to change.
Hahaha…
good old Whack-a-Mole!
I had forgotten about that game! Good times! 🙂
There is something quite satisfying about hearing the WHACK!
I can’t tell you have many times I have used the analogy of those things to life’s situations. That game says it all.
The little rascals “popped” into my head this morning when responding to a comment by Sidey. It seems that every time I turn around, another crisis has popped up to “test my resolve” to stay calm and centered.
We call it Splat The Rat here 😀 wonderful cautionary tale, Nancy!
Bwahaha! That’s an even better name, Kate. I should add:
“No animals were harmed in the production of this post.”
I’ve never heard of this game, but it sums up life perfectly!
Kate says they call it Splat the Rat in England . . . ring any bells?
You’re right, Nancy – it’s like water – just when you swirl it away from the edge, there’s more to replace it. That’s why I play golf – whack!!!
Golf offers a chance to listen to a resounding THWACK with each WHACK! 😀
Thanks for always making me smile, Nancy!
My kids did love that game…now in their 30:s, they probably still would. 🙂
It’s great advice…you can often diffuse a tense situation of conflict and anger by stepping back and then stepping back in with a smile and soft word as opposed to a whack.
Thanks, Vivian. Always happy to share smiles! Sometimes the best way to deal with a problem is just to “Let It Be.”
I love that image….and have had periods in my life when it seemed like I was stuck bopping that mole all day long…thank goodness things have calmed down. And you’re right…just let it be….I’m learning to let it pop up and just ignore it….love the name “splat the rat” 🙄
Thanks, Kathy. When a mole pops up in our line of vision, we’re tempted to WHACK it . . . even if we know that two more will emerge to take its place.
When we battles the relentless waves, we risk drowning from exhaustion. Sometimes, it’s better to just F~L~O~A~T.
that game is a great de-stresser..that and pulling weeds
It’s always a good idea to “weed our gardens.” 😉
And here I was, all along, thinking whackamole was a dip made from avocados and chilli … 😉
Holy guacomole! You’re right, Batman. 😛
you have to make your own molehole and climb into it for me time
If you don’t . . . you end up making mountains out of molehills. 😉
Wow, never heard of that game, thank goodness. Maybe it just didn’t take off here. Or maybe I lived on the farm too long, lol!
Whac~A~Mole tends to be confined to midways at State and County Fairs, and boardwalks and arcades at the Beach. But, judging from Lisa’s comment, it might be a money maker at local grocery and drugstores. 😛
I need a moment like that now. Off to search for a mole.
Be kind to our four-legged friends, Nuvo! Only WHACK plastic moles! 😛
LOL, I thought I just saw one in the mirror…..
I always enjoyed Pie – Gates myself 😉
ps – saw the mention of Caddyshack – such a cringingly fantastic comedy 🙂
Caddyshack is one of our all time favorites! 😆
I like the imagery… those moles are nasty! 🙂
They can be relentless . . . urging us to WHACK, WHACK, WHACK until we are utterly exhausted.
Take a break. Aah . . . that’s better!
I never was any good at that game.
Lots of things affect the scoreboard, especially if we are slow out of the starting gate . . . or not hitting on all cylinders. 😉