We All Spill Soup

Dear Reader:

Today there are so many different brands of soup …but I stay faithful to my tried and true basic Campbell soups when eating at home. My childhood is so tied into these soups …representing comfort… yummy grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup. My favorite meal as a child.

Then when I married into the Dingle family I discovered that the original Campbell kids logo soups featured the paper dolls from the 1920’s cut-outs of Dolly Dingle and Billy Bump… then the soups became even more endearing.

Only Mark Nepo could connect spilled soup with ” personalizing ” and ” projecting.”

Haven’t we all ” personalized” in different daily situations… it covers superstitions too.

Dolly Dingle

For example:

When Walsh was playing high school football he was a wide receiver… as I watched the football sail through the air towards him, I would cup my hands and blow into them three times with my eyes closed-since it seemed to work more times than not… I began to feel that somehow I could control the fate of the catch … not realizing what a burden I was putting on myself …mistakenly thinking I could control an universal outcome. .. not slightly related to football.

Projecting is the opposite… we attribute our fears and frustrations on others. For example if we grew up afraid of dogs we might overly protect our children from dogs by shielding them or chasing dogs away if they get too close. Unconsciously making the next generation afraid of dogs for a lifetime.

Most of us don’t even realize we are projecting or personalizing until it is brought to our attention, Nepo says:

” Humans have spilled soup for ages and made excuses for it … most of the excuses are rather ridiculous… so if we want to make a difference in this world… simply say ” I’m sorry I spilled the soup.”

So until tomorrow…We all need to own our humanness with self kindness and make amends as needed.

True confession-as I am typing this post I keep finding that red spot of tomato soup ( I had for lunch) on my sweatshirt! Not earth shattering but I am admitting my human folly so I can accept mistakes as stepping stones to deeper awareness and appreciation of a fulfilled life. 🤣

Today is my favorite day-Winnie the Pooh

Dolly Dingle-my numbered lineage doll

About Becky Dingle

I was born a Tarheel but ended up a Sandlapper. My grandparents were cotton farmers in Laurens, South Carolina and it was in my grandmother’s house that my love of storytelling began beside an old Franklin stove. When I graduated from Laurens High School, I attended Erskine College (Due West of what?) and would later get my Masters Degree in Education/Social Studies from Charleston Southern. I am presently an adjunct professor/clinical supervisor at CSU and have also taught at the College of Charleston. For 28 years I taught Social Studies through storytelling. My philosophy matched Rudyard Kipling’s quote: “If history were taught in the form of stories, it would never be forgotten.” Today I still spread this message through workshops and presentations throughout the state. The secret of success in teaching social studies is always in the story. I want to keep learning and being surprised by life…it is the greatest teacher. Like Kermit said, “When you’re green you grow, when you’re ripe you rot.”
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1 Response to We All Spill Soup

  1. Rachel Edwards says:

    ❤

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