Eric Wieringa

Standing Brooms and Gravitational Pulls

Over the past few days Facebook was flooded with pictures of standing brooms. This aberration was supposedly due to the planets aligning, gravitational pulls, and deadly solar flares ready to consume the earth. However, upon further investigation this fantasia phenomena is nothing more than a magic trick, an anomaly in which humans perceive something happening outside of the laws of physics, when in fact, it can be done at any time. That’s right, your broom is not possessed, the Mayans are not coming in their spaceships and Harold Camping is still wrong.

Besides a fun day at work showing the kids my incredible mind powers, I observed something else from this social craze. I realized how much people desire to see something exceptional when the exceptional is already right before their eyes. Brooms are not exceptional because they can stand on their end; they are only extraordinary when used as they were designed. When a broom is used to sweep it meets its fullest potential, and if inanimate objects had feelings the broom would be fulfilled.

Forgive me for the weak metaphor, but seeing all those silly balancing brooms is the perfect picture of our own humanity. I think most people are like brooms striving to stand on their end. In fact, I don’t think most people have a clue what their purpose is, they only imagine doing something great.

But, there is only one thing more frustrating than not knowing your place in life, and that is, knowing what you were created to do and not having opportunities to do it. I won’t go into all of my personal frustrations about my haltered ambitions, simply because I highly doubt my discontent is virtuous. I wrote this to urge all of those who are seeking to live out their personal vision for life.

If you know what you are designed to do, but have not received the recognition you want, just keep sweeping. If you are tired of the daily grind and frustrated at the lack of opportunities, keep sweeping. If you are afraid that your very best will not be good enough, keep sweeping, If you still don’t know your purpose, but want more out of life, start sweeping. If you do your work and do it well there is no way this world can restrain you. Make notice to all who surround you that you will never give up, that you will not be an idle broom stretching for the sky, and if you are needed, you will be in the corner quietly sweeping.