Step Through to Step Back

In the early 90’s, Disney introduced their television show, “Adventures in Wonderland.” The show follows the continuing story of Alice, who is able to step through her looking glass and visit her Wonderland friends whenever she chooses. Each episode began with Alice having an issue. Maybe it was trouble making a decision about something. Or maybe it was something she didn’t even realize was an issue, like the episode where she gossiped on the phone with a friend about a classmate who dropped his tray in the lunchroom, or another episode where she stole her sister’s perfume and accidentally spilled the whole bottle all over herself. Most of the time, it’s an issue Alice knows is an issue and she goes to Wonderland for time to think about it. She glances at her cat, Dinah, and steps through the mirror. Inevitably, her adventures with the Queen of Hearts, White Rabbit (who is a stellar roller blade star), the Mad Hatter, March Hair (what is a March Hair anyway? Oh. It’s an English idiom comparing crazy people to rabbits that extra crazy during breeding season, i.e. March), the Tweedle Twins, Walrus, the storytelling caterpillar and Cheshire Cat) give her new insight into her problem. When she steps back through the looking glass and into her bedroom, Alice informs Dinah that her new perspective has helped her. All it took was stepping away for a while. 
            (Side note: Please visit YouTube and check out Adventures in Wonderland. It is amazingly 90’s and wonderful and I totally wore my hair like that when I was Alice’s age. It’s been a fantastic diversion for me. So many memories!)
            Finding new perspective is a great way to problem solve. Taking a step back and looking again is a great way to get new perspective.
            I wonder how often we intentionally make space to step back. How often do you make a margin for reflection? Do you have people you trust that you go to when you need that stepping-back-space? Alice had her hatter and Tweedles. I have my besties, my husband. And when I just need to process on my own, I journal. I walk. I read an article recently where the editors talk about finding space for personal margins and they said they keep a jigsaw puzzle in their office space. During meetings, in between projects and thoughts, during breaks, people are encouraged to work on the puzzle. The editors wrote, “So we discovered nothing is useful…Because if we don’t plan our days full of practical activities from minute to minute, we find there is room for wonder and surprise, to give our brains a break. And that’s very much needed.” 
            To create some space for my own brain, I unplugged for Memorial Day. I turned off my phone and left it upstairs in the bedroom. Then I spent the day away from screens. I read outside, walked, worked on the puzzle, I wrote poetry (which I never do anymore). I played a card game against myself (I lost as many times as I won, by the way. Lewis Carroll wrote in Through the Looking Glass, “Once she remembered trying to box her own ears for having cheated herself in a game of croquet she was playing against herself, for this curious child was very fond of pretending to be two people.” So there. I’m not weird. I’m a curious person.).
             I see many people with quarantine goals and I think that’s awesome. But I also see people wondering if they’re “wasting their quarantine” and I don’t think so. Even when we’re doing nothing, we’re never really doing nothing. We’re non-doing and non-doing can be healthy. 
            So I encourage you to step through the looking glass. Find some space to simply be. Create the space you need. Spend some (socially distant and safe) time with friends or family (seriously, pick up your phone and use it like a phone if it’s not feasible to see someone in person). Find your Mad Hatter and White Rabbit and I hope they help you find some fresh perspective for whatever you’re going through. 
            Be well, be safe! 


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