Sing it with me!

“Hakuna matata, what a wonderful phrase!

Hakuna matata, it’s no passing craze!

It means no worries,

for the rest of your days!

It’s our problem-free philosophy!

Hakuna matata!”

Sounds good, right?  If you are a fan of the Disney cartoon, “The Lion King”, you’ll be more than familiar with this song.  “Hakuna matata” is a Swahili phrase that means “there are no worries”.  I will be the first to admit I am a big-time worrier. I worry about everything – I’m not sure if it is hereditary, but I’m sure when my Mum reads this post she will leave a comment and blame it on my Dad 🙂

What are my typical worries?  Well, let’s see…given I have been out of work for a while now, running out of cash is a definite worry.  The global economic “crisis” is a worry because it affects businesses and their capacity to recruit people like me.  And when people like me who were regular self-confessed shopaholics can no longer afford to shop and spend, then retail businesses suffer – usually starts with heavy discounting to move their stock, them shedding staff, then eventually closing down – just like any other business. You get the picture.

How about some simpler worries?  Everyday things that you probably didn’t realise you worried about.  Ever walked out of the house and wondered if you’d turned off the stove? Or the heater? Or remembered to close the windows in case of a storm? Or locked the door? Or forgotten your keys?

Have you ever locked your keys in your car or left the headlights on and ended up with a dead battery (assuming your car doesn’t automatically switch them off or give you loud warning beeps)?  Or how about this…worried about getting a flat tyre in the middle of a busy highway or in a storm with no spare in the boot (to translate this sentence for my American friends, I meant a flat tire with no spare in the trunk :)).

I once entertained the idea, though for only as long as it took me to go through this thought process, of getting a cat because I worried that I could slip and fall in my bathtub, pass out from a concussion, and nobody would find me till the neighbours report the smell of a rotting corpse permeating through the building.  The idea of getting a cat was quickly dismissed because I worried about not being able to take care of it because I am really not good with pets so I worried about it dying.  And, of course, being a really sensitive person, I worried about getting too attached to the cat and then being an emotional wreck when it died.  Oh, and how having a cat might help me in the event that I did happen to fall in my bathtub and concuss myself, I have no idea…I’m sure the cat lovers reading this might offer some suggestions.

Since I started writing, I worry that nobody would be interested in reading my blog or my self-indulgent fanfiction.  When they are eventually published, especially my stories which require a great deal more effort and time than my random rants here, I worry that people would find them boring or dull, or a bigger offense, complain of major plot holes!  The first negative review I got made me want to retire my quill.

I believe our worries are a reflection of our fears, and some of those fears are based on experiences, whether they be our own or from observing others.  Some things are out of our control but most things are probably preventable.  I’m no Adrian Monk but I will admit to a certain degree of OCD behaviours although I would prefer to call it “caution”.

I nearly burnt my apartment down one Christmas because I accidentally left a candle burning when I went to bed.  I had thought that I had put out the flame because it was barely visible. Thankfully, the sound of the blaring smoke alarm woke me up at 4am. When I opened the door to the living room I found a nice little campfire going on in the middle of my dining table.  I was luckily alert enough to grab a jug of water from the fridge to douse the fire.  Since then, I have a fire blanket handy and always remember to change the battery in my smoke alarm regularly.

My worst fear of slipping in the bathroom actually happened to a friend of mine a couple of years ago.  Luckily for her, she was passed out for only a few minutes.  Instead of getting a cat, I just try to remember to call my Mum every night or every second night, just so she knows I’m still alive.

I check my car tyres regularly because although I have only ever had two flat tyres (and both occurring in public car parks) in twenty years of driving, I do not ever want to be stuck in the middle of the highway in the rain with no spare.  Besides, in the words of the one-and-only Matt Bomer, keeping your tyres well-inflated will keep your car looking awesome! 🙂

So now that I have added to your worries and bombarded you with YouTube videos, let me leave you with one final note: in the words of the effervescent Bobby McFerrin, “Don’t worry, be happy!”