Life is messy. It’s not a famous quote, or even an original one, but someone said it to me at a very low point in my life and it has become a favorite.

Maybe it’s because my mom once bought me the “Mr. Messy” book by Roger Hargreaves (this was before the Little Miss versions were available) in an attempt to get me to clean my room. I remember reasoning with her that my room was cluttered but not filthy. As long as the piles of stuff were clean, I didn’t see the problem. More importantly, I loved having real grown-up-like discussions with my mom, even if my room was a mess.

So, among many things, Life is Messy means:

We do not know what we do not know. There are no simple answers. The best laid plans of mice. Expect the unexpected. Babies and puppies are some of the messiest creatures on earth, and we love them anyway.

So in the midst of a US election, the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, failing at October Unprocessed, and for me a recent food adventure that has set me back weeks, I’m actually still a fan of Mr. Messy. Yes, we pay dearly for it sometimes, but we can’t know our limits unless we push them. We can live with a little mess.

food, NaBloPoMo