The Curse Is in Your Head

The road sweeper is the bane of my existence. Who knew a golf-cart-sized vehicle with two rotating brushes could make as much noise as a Boeing?

I have woken up way too early many times thanks to the road sweeper. Today, one woke me up, and another passed me on the way to work. Then, he circled around and drove past me again. Sped ahead, did a loop…and passed me again.

Have you ever had a fly whizz around you just to taunt you? This felt the same. Until, after five minutes of “Really?” I had a different thought: “The curse is in your head.”

The road sweeper sweeps roads. That is his job. The city does not send him out to wake people, but some always will. A tree does not break up with its leaves when they turn brown. Gravity is what gets them.

You didn’t curse yourself on purpose, and yet, your head is where the curse resides. Can you unfurl your mind and find it? Open the window and let it out?

Stop wrapping your brain so tightly around external stressors. They don’t mean to stress you. Most likely, they don’t think about you at all. Can you do the same?

When you realize the curse is in your head, you take the first step towards healing. You might not be able to immediately clear the air, but at least you can start looking for the sun. Stop focusing on the noise, and you will notice the streets are clean – even early in the morning, and that’s a beautiful thing.