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Povinovinonon

Friday, December 10, 2004

Toad-Sitting 

Last night, I had the sort of dream that keeps me from feeling really rested when I wake up. I dreamt that I received a cardboard box in the mail. Inside the box was a small tupperware container, and inside the container was a gelatinous blob. The blob was pink with brown and white polka-dots that looked like eyes. I realized it was alive and was about to squash it in disgust when I noticed the letter inside the box. That's when I remembered that I had signed up to be a toad-sitter. I had volunteered to watch people's toads for them while they were busy or on vacation.

I immediately regretted ever having agreed to do this. I am not really into amphibians and have never had my own toad. Why on earth had I signed on for this bizarre responsibility? Nevertheless, I went ahead and tried to follow the instructions that came with Angela, the pink toad.

I took her to the vet, I gave her pills, I dragged her along on a visit to Gramma's. And while visiting Gramma, I ran into Angela's owner. He expressed disappointment that I was keeping her in a large tuppereware breadbox instead of a fancy terrarium. Feeling guilty, I searched Gramma's garage for an old terrarium. While transferring Angela to her new home, she defecated and urinated on the garage floor. I wondered yet again why I had volunteered to be a toad-sitter.

After waking up, it didn't take me long to understand what this dream was all about. I've taken on too many responsibilities and am feeling guilty that I'm not fulfilling them. I'm trying to do too many things, things I'm not necessarily suited to do, things I don't really need to be doing. This dream brought home to me the ridiculousness of the situation. What do I think I'm doing, toad-sitting?

I'm thinking that perhaps if I do less, I'll get more accomplished.
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