Just Let It Simmer

This summer, I have had plenty of time to think.  Whether that is sitting on a mower for eight hours, with nothing to listen to but podcasts, music, and the voices in my head, or entering a quiet apartment, after a long day's work. It was during one of those times that I realized that I was starting to sift through the previous year's lessons.  Some of the things that I had thought that I had learned and experienced, I realized that I hadn't really had time to fully process during the craziness of the school year.

I had this thought again after I binge-listened (yes, that is a thing) to Cross-Politic's podcast.  After having listened to a few of them consecutively, I tried to remember what the topic was that they had discussed in the first one.  It was then that I realized that I didn't really remember it.  And not only that, but I couldn't recall one of the sections that had really struck me at that moment.

Looking back on this, I realized that this is very easy to do in life.  I've had to check myself multiple times to slow down and let it simmer.  Whether that be in class, or talking to a friend.  When I was a freshman in high school, I always thought being the fastest to raise your hand to answer the question, would impress the teacher.  Not only that, but you could also impress the pretty girl in the class with the amount of times that you would raise your hand.  But then, after a few times of opening my mouth and stumbling over my words and losing my thoughts, I realized that I should take a few seconds.

Obviously, if you have an answer, you can express that, but it doesn't hurt to stop and gather your thoughts and nerves and then speak your mind.  I would force myself  to jot a few notes down, so that I could refer back to that if I lost my place.  (I still do that, because sometimes the professor may not call on you when you have your answer on the tip of your tongue.)

It is the same thing with my interactions with my friends.  I would have to make a conscious effort to shut my mouth, and listen.  (I still need to, sometimes.)  Sure, they may be asking for a solution, but they may also just be looking for someone that they can talk to.  And if they are looking for advice, they are much more receptive to it, if I don't cut them off midway.  (I've found this out the hard way.  Siblings are good at checking you if you cut them off.)  If I keep my mouth shut, it shows that I really do care.  And that I'm not just here to slap a band-aid on the wound and move onto the "next problem."

Sometimes, it is best to just let it sit there and simmer, before offering a solution.