Working Out My Change Muscle

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“Everybody wants to be enlightened but nobody wants to change.” – Andrew Cohen

Last Monday when my mom was over, my 6-year-old daughter asked her if she wanted to get the stem out of a strawberry. Thinking that Miss O meant for her to do it, my mom grabbed a paring knife and reached for the strawberry. Then Miss O explained that she was going to show her how to do it.

Grabbing a straw, she pushed it up from the bottom of the strawberry until it popped out of the top, taking the stem with it. A pretty neat hack she learned from a You Tube video.

This makes me think of the quote from Andrew Cohen at the top of this post, “Everybody wants to be enlightened but nobody wants to change.” For me, I take that to mean at this phase of life that change is more about attitude than substance. That is to say, an openness to change is more important than what exactly it is that I will change.

I can name a half a dozen reasons why I wouldn’t stem a strawberry with a straw without even trying it. But that leaves me in a position of only trying change when I deem it to be important. How can I believe I’ll have the spiritual wherewithal to recognize and accept the one change I may need for enlightenment if I’m out of practice of changing at all?

So this week for Miss O’s school lunches, I’ve been popping the stem out with a straw all week. A change I’m not committing to stick to because I usually have knives more readily available than straws. But I consider it a workout for my flexibility.

What does change look like for you in your stage of life? Have you ever tried to stem a strawberry with a straw?

58 thoughts on “Working Out My Change Muscle”

  1. 1. Reminding myself that I’m officially old and don’t need to be doing something productive/constructive at all times. Take care of those roses that need more smelling.
    2. No! 😂😂😊

    Liked by 4 people

  3. Way to work out that flexibility, Wynne! I mean it–I admire that!

    My change (that has come during the last few years)? Not pretending to know that I have a clue where life is heading…and being good with that. 🙏

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  5. have never tried to stem a strawberry with a straw but I kind of like the idea. My change: learning to accept help from unexpected sources. Independence still has a prominent place, but letting others lend their hands and skills doesn’t lessen my own abilities.

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  6. I’ve never considered removing a strawberry stem with a straw. The things you can learn on YouTube! My sons have taught me new ways of doing everyday things that my memory muscles have rejected. But, as you say, these little changes can be good workouts in flexibility.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. I can only imagine the change that is wrought by even older kids. Good for you for trying and if we go back to the cutting board (pun intended), I think we still have exercised the flexibility. Right?

      Liked by 1 person

  7. This just makes me wonder how we all managed without YouTube :)..I need to try a straw for popping the stem out of strawberry. I agree, we need to exercise and strengthen our change muscles as much as possible.

    Liked by 3 people

    1. Right – how did we manage without YouTube? Or WikiHow? I can imagine most households without children would be hard-pressed to find a straw but if you happen on one, it’s a pretty neat trick. 🙂

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  8. LOL! My grandkids showed this to me too! I found it didn’t work so well when I needed to work on a whole container and the pieces kept jamming in the straw! Back to the knife for me!

    Liked by 3 people

    1. Oh yes – a whole container. After a while, the straws get a little bendy. But I’m laughing that your grandkids showed you this and you tried it too! Bless you for being game! 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Of course! Even if it doesn’t work it good to go through the whole experiment right? We’re all teachers and students, all of the time! 🤓😜

        Liked by 1 person

  9. Your post inspired me to reflect back on when my kids were young, and what a catalyst for change having children are. I’d say continually so, as they age, and the grandchildren appear.

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  10. Smiles. Nope, I have never tried this…but I do have straws and I happen to have strawberries this week. Change is sooooo hard for most of us. How WILL we recognize the change we need to make for enlightenment if we cannot implement even the smallest of changes in other areas of life? Your message here is incredibly thought provoking, Wynne. I have a feeling my mind is going to be stuck on this all day 🙂

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    1. Grace – you are such a sweet encourager and so open! I have a feeling you are changing from the inside out so much in this rich and difficult time of your life that 2 years from now you are going to teach the class on change!

      Liked by 1 person

      1. This life is definitely pulling me way out of my comfort zone and stretching me in all kinds of uncomfortable ways. I was reflecting this morning that the older I get…the less I know. One day at a time 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

      2. Oh, that’s so brilliant – the older I get, the less I know! And I keep leaning towards the less I need to know or at least a comfort with uncertainty.

        I think you have every right to the discomfort because of the immense amount of work you are doing. I have these angel cards with words on them that I pick three of every morning – words like peace, respect, patience, love (72 in all). And for a while one that I got consistently was “transformation.” Ugh! I can tell you, I was so tired of it! But then I was through it and all the lessons seemed worthwhile. May that happen for you too!

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  12. What a adorable photo! But doesn’t the straw get stuck full of strawberry innards? Guess it doesn’t matter if it does—what matters is that the job gets done. I’m always about finding the easiest way to do a job, so whatever works! My newest lesson is that sometimes just being is a whole lot better than doing. Just being often leads to better doing.

    Liked by 4 people

    2. I love your lesson – just being leads to better doing! Wow – that is powerful stuff!

      And I’m cracking up about the tutorial. No, the innards don’t get stuck — they are still attached to the leaves so you just pull the leaves out of the straw and the rest comes too. 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Well cool! I learn new things every day. Do I always like what I learn? Nah. I don’t always like change either, but hey—I can’t control the world—just myself—and I don’t always do too well with that either. So I just BE.

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      2. Said perfectly – Julia. Nope, we don’t always like it and we can’t control it so we just learn how to BE! One of the most important lessons of all!

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  13. Yes, I’ve tried it. Works well. Change is essential. If any of us think otherwise, especially past 40, we should look in the mirror. We ought to have learned something in the precious bit of time we have above ground. Our bodies are changing internally, our appearance has changed, our brains are changing, the world’s demands have changed at increasing speed, and there is less time to do whatever we believe is essential. Regret is the road not taken. An old ironic joke: no one on his death bed says, “Geez, I should have spent more time in the office.”

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    1. What excellent points, Dr. Stein! And I love that joke for the wallop of truth it delivers. Everything else is changing so getting in shape to change along with seems important!

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  14. What a fantastic idea! It does take out the white stuff in the middle (which I like 🙂 ), so even though it seems like a huge savings, I’m on the fence with it, still…

    But I’m with you on change. At any age (when it makes sense, not just for the sake of change). There’s this funny cartoon I saw where the speaker asks “who wants change?” and everyone puts up their hand. And then the speaker asks “who is willing to change?” and no hands go up…

    Liked by 3 people

    1. I love that cartoon. It’s making me giggle because it’s so true!!

      It does take out the white stuff in the middle. And it’s perfect for 6-yr-olds who don’t yet wield knives. But I’m still on the fence too! 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

      1. But the idea behind the de-stemming is absolutely fantastic, especially for those who don’t like the white stuff (but who wouldn’t? 🙂 ), and, like you said, for people better off not handling knives!

        Liked by 1 person

  15. Kids are so great at teaching us about curiousity, adaptability and change and it’s certainly a muscle that becomes stiffer and more rigid and set in its ways as we get older for sure.

    Good for you for stemming the berries with the straw. And good for Miss O for finding her own way of going through stemming.

    Liked by 3 people

    1. You are so right about kids teaching us curiosity! Boy, you and I should have ripped change muscles by now… 🙂

      I have to admit that I didn’t stem her strawberry this morning with a straw – I couldn’t find one and went back to my old ways. But I made it most of the week! Happy Friday, Ab!

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  16. What does change look like for you in your stage of life? Home renovations and dealing with apps that make little to no sense to me

    Have you ever tried to stem a strawberry with a straw? Yes and it worked

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Right – home renovations. Has that cooktop shown up yet, Ally? And boy can I relate to the apps that are confounding starting with – why do I want this one?

      Happy Friday! Hope your home renovations get past the disruption phase and into the “wow, isn’t this a great change!” phase soon!

      Liked by 1 person

  17. What a great post Wynne! No I have never stemmed a strawberry with a straw, but thanks to Miss O for teaching me the trick, through you. I’ll definitely try it.
    As for change, I believe people only change when they are ready, and never before. We can influence others, but the action of actually changing is entirely up to them. I agree with you however on remaining flexible and having an open mind. Please thank Miss O for the lesson in stemming strawberries. I can’t wait to try it.

    Liked by 3 people

    1. I totally agree that we can’t change others, Alegria. I’m too busy trying to make sure I can change when necessary to get in anyone else’s lane! 🙂

      I am smiling thinking of you trying the strawberry stemming. You are a good sport! Let me know how it goes.

      Liked by 1 person

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