Crabs in a Bucket

I live in Louisiana.  I love the state that I live in,  however, I still managed to find a reason to crawl to the state line as an infant.

Louisiana is a rich tapestry of political history.

Well, at least the politicians are rich.


The nightlife in Louisiana is a wonderland of excitement.

The most exciting thing I have been doing lately is cheering for my bug light. "Geaux" is pronounced "go" in Louisiana.  Fortunately, we are able to take words, create our own variations and no one questions anything that we do.  It is just one of the many perks of being a Cajun.

I often sit out at night on my back patio watching bugs get bumped off by the electric mafia thinking that surely there is something better than this.


I do this alone.


I am not unlike a crab in a bucket.


One interesting thing that I like to do here in Louisiana is to go crabbing.

There are some great brackish (salt and freshwater mix) areas along the coast of Louisiana to go crabbing.  If you decide to go crabbing here, make sure you bring along a big stick to push away the alligators that try to take the bait that you put out.   On second thought, leave the stick at home and let them keep that chicken leg you put out.

I don't like to go by myself, though, because afterwards I need someone to season and boil the crabs for me.  My cooking skills are very limited.  I know how to boil water and melt butter.

There is something about crabs, though, that honestly makes me laugh.

When you put one crab in a bucket and there is a way out, that crab will get out. However, if you put two or more crabs in the same bucket, no crabs will get out.  They will continually pull each other down.  


Much like people.


Sadly, I find the people closest to me are the ones who pull me down.  Usually, it is the confluence of miscommunication and many unremarkable vexations that torpidly spiral out of control that brings them to this point.  I feel like we should be working with each other instead of against each other.  No one wins that way.  The sum of all of the frustrations of being pulled down begins to eclipse my capacity for patience and lucid thought.  Over time, I have developed this hard exterior shell that keeps people from getting close to me.  I get tired of being pulled down into a bottomless pit of tribulation.

I often sit back and wonder why some  people aren't better than crabs in a bucket.  Why do we pull each other down instead of lifting each other up? I do have people in my life who are desperately trying to pull me down right now.  My bloodstream has become a thick brew of betrayal and sadness.  It runs straight to my heart.  Fortunately, I carry something that keeps me from fighting back.  I carry it at all times.

 

It is very difficult at times to maintain a level of dignity and integrity, but I still do it.  Maintaining direction is very important to me.  I still forgive those who are out to destroy me for some reason.  I just wish that they would stop.  I really just want out of the bucket and to get where I need to go.  That will be my reward.

My compass guides me and I will never be without it.  They can't take that away from me. No one can.