Monday’s Meditation: On Changing Lobsters

July 30, 2012

For those of who you don’t speak idiom, to “change lobsters and dance” is equivalent to the perhaps more commonplace “go with the flow,” “roll with the punches,” “stop whining, be grateful and get on board with the changes that are happening that you clearly have no control over, idiot.” That last one you haven’t heard? Strange.

Adapted from Lewis Carrol’s “The Lobster Quadrille,” this phrase was nudged along into the mainstream lexicon when film star Lilli Palmer published her autobiography under the title “Change Lobsters- And Dance.”

I was recently reminded of this oft-used (would we still call it that?) expression by my father; I happened to be particularly bent out of shape by the fact that one very small set of things were not going the way I had envisioned they would. So I did what any person would do– I hurried up and got my dad on the horn.

“Dad,” I spewed, “this isn’t this, and that isn’t that, and blah blah blah and oh, did I mention this, too?”

And then my dad, ever the psychoanalyst, ever the calm, stable voice from out of the abyss, replied in his most even, earnest tone,

“This is a moment where you can be full of resentment and frustration, and you can let that hold you back. Or you can choose to be grateful, to see that things have shifted so as to open up other opportunities for you, and most of all, to follow that old saying, ‘change lobsters and dance.'”

Change lobsters and dance! Duh, Annie! Hi!

I’m not quite sure why that phrase happened to be so impactful in the moment, but it was, and it has remained in effect for me ever since he uttered it.

There was much embedded in those words: You cannot control everything and it’s futile to try. You may not have asked for this situation at the outset, but life has set into motion events to put this in front of you; see the blessings in it. Harbor resentment and let rigidity rule you or choose to be flexible in life, to adapt your plan and shift your mindset, to welcome in the present moment with an open heart.

And when he put it that way, the answer was obvious.

I hope it’s as clear for you as it was for me, whenever this phrase comes into play.

Happy Monday–

A.

Image credit: Carol Holaday

7 Comments

  1. pillowsalamode on July 30, 2012 at 10:05 am

    Well said! 🙂

  2. David on July 30, 2012 at 11:15 am

    You inspire me.

  3. David on July 30, 2012 at 11:38 am

    A lot.

  4. Zoey Zilkowski on July 30, 2012 at 12:57 pm

    Sounds like you get some of your wisdom from a very wise father! And your words have come on a day when I really needed to be reminded of moving toward the blessings of life that can be found in the challenges.

  5. ashley on July 30, 2012 at 2:29 pm

    i hadn’t heard this expression before, but i like it! it’s non-judgmental and i think it would have a similar impact on me if i heard it in a moment of frustration 🙂

  6. Coco on July 30, 2012 at 7:11 pm

    And it truly is ‘living simply’.
    A fabulous Monday meditation. Have a great week!
    x

  7. Rachel {little bits of lovely} on August 1, 2012 at 2:19 am

    I love this Annie! I haven’t heard of this saying but now that you’ve put it on my radar I’m going to start using it! Looking for blessings in pear-shaped situations is hard, but I think that just shifting your mindset and thinking about it as an opportunity rather than a hinderence makes a world of difference xx

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7 Comments

  1. pillowsalamode on July 30, 2012 at 10:05 am

    Well said! 🙂

  2. David on July 30, 2012 at 11:15 am

    You inspire me.

  3. David on July 30, 2012 at 11:38 am

    A lot.

  4. Zoey Zilkowski on July 30, 2012 at 12:57 pm

    Sounds like you get some of your wisdom from a very wise father! And your words have come on a day when I really needed to be reminded of moving toward the blessings of life that can be found in the challenges.

  5. ashley on July 30, 2012 at 2:29 pm

    i hadn’t heard this expression before, but i like it! it’s non-judgmental and i think it would have a similar impact on me if i heard it in a moment of frustration 🙂

  6. Coco on July 30, 2012 at 7:11 pm

    And it truly is ‘living simply’.
    A fabulous Monday meditation. Have a great week!
    x

  7. Rachel {little bits of lovely} on August 1, 2012 at 2:19 am

    I love this Annie! I haven’t heard of this saying but now that you’ve put it on my radar I’m going to start using it! Looking for blessings in pear-shaped situations is hard, but I think that just shifting your mindset and thinking about it as an opportunity rather than a hinderence makes a world of difference xx

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