When the pieces don’t fit together

By Jeff Becraft

The below conversation actually took place in our household one night.

I went into the bathroom to brush my teeth to get ready for bed. There was a fly flying around. I thought to myself, “I’m going to take care of this right now.” I leave the bathroom and close the door behind me so the fly won’t get out and I head towards the kitchen to get the fly swatter.

While on the way to the kitchen, I get distracted by another pressing issue and so I take care of that. I then head back to the bathroom. I see the door closed with the light on and think to myself, “Brenda must be in the bathroom.”  I then go away and do something else. I come back to the bathroom and see the door closed with the light on and think, “Man… Brenda is taking a long time in the bathroom.”

I then head back down the hallway and come to where my wife actually is.

She says to me, “Don’t turn off the light in the kitchen.”
I poke my head around the corner… “There’s no light on in the kitchen.”
“Yes, there is.  I left it on for a reason.”
I poke my head around the corner again… “There’s no light on in the kitchen… Do you want me to go turn a light on in the kitchen for you?”
“No, I can do it later myself.”

I then head back to the bathroom.  I see the door closed with the light on and I think I know what is going on.

I go back to where my wife actually is and say, “You didn’t leave the light on in the kitchen… you left the light on in the bathroom.”
“No, I didn’t.”
“Yes, you did.”
“I wasn’t in the bathroom.”
“Yes, you were… I needed to go in the bathroom and the door was closed with the light on.”
“I haven’t even been in that bathroom.”

I head back to the bathroom. Knowing now that my wife is not in there, I open the door and walk in. There is a fly flying around. The last 10 minutes of my life become clear to me.

I go out of the bathroom, close the door behind me, and head to get the fly swatter.

So, if you are ever having days where the pieces just aren’t fitting together, just come over to our house… and we’ll get you straightened out.

Jeff Becraft is the Director of Our Place of Hope and the Director Emeritus for Youth Corps and has dedicated much of his life to helping shift the vision of people’s lives. Our Place of Hope is a paradigm shift for people living with mental illness that encourages them to regain meaning, purpose, and hope for their lives. You can connect with Jeff at  [email protected].