Our family frolicked joyfully in the beautiful infinity pool, splashing, laughing, diving, probably even swallowed some gulps of pool water, but no harm, no foul.
Yet, as we played, I felt an uneasiness that I couldn’t explain.
I still licked the water anyway, because who doesn’t lick infinity pool water?
The next day I returned to the pool, and instead of just looking at the section where one can enjoy the water, I stepped over to the infinity side (it is called an infinity pool because the water disappears over the edge, where it lands in a smaller pool section and is recycled back up), and this is where I came face-to-face with what I had subconsciously felt must be lurking:
A Dead and Rotting Mouse floating in the pool water.
{Barf Emoji} {Sadness Emoji} {Cheese Emoji}
Unbeknownst to us, we had been subjecting ourselves to whatever can come about from the remains of a dead rodent, while happily swimming in a pool we thought was clean.
We threw our children in it;
We sat and conversed in it;
We probably ran our fingers through our wet hair, feeling like the rich and famous, without noticing D-Con and mouse poop pellets embedded in our cowlicks.
Maybe.
All I’m saying is that even the infinity pool isn’t perfect.
It looks perfect if you look at it from the surface, while resting your face, mouth, and beard in the water, eyes and nose just above the waterline to remain breathing…no idea that the water recycling back is something you wouldn’t allow your dog to sniff from 10 feet away.
Pleasant thought, isn’t it?
What’s The Parable of the Infinity Pool Mouse?
Social media is the infinity pool.
We pretty much only show what’s perfect.
The infinity pool moments…
but there’s probably a dead rat in the background, or a photo out of a reality show scene reshot multiple times to get the lighting just right…in the name of reality.
The Promise is to be real, as often as humanly possible – in order to restore humanity to the world we are living in of AI, false reality, deepfakes, and ChatGPT.
Who wrote this blog by the way? Could ChatGPT? Maybe RatGPDeet?
Promise Community Friend, I invite you to join me:
Let’s Share the warts.
Share the vulnerable moments.
Share the dead mouse, even in the million dollar estate infinity pool.
Not only because it’s real, but because it’s hilarious, disgusting, relatable, and horrific.
I love that there was a mouse in that infinity pool or I could never justify sharing that I was in an infinity pool without sounding like a total jerk!
~ Jason Hewlett
Husband, Father, Writer, Mentor, Hiker, Infinity Pool Mouse Catcher
- Speaker Hall of Fame * Award-Winning Entertainer * Coach & Mentor
- World’s Only Keynote Speaker utilizing entertainment, musical impressions, and comedy to teach The Promise
- Author of “The Promise To The One”
8 Responses
Very true.
Thank you my friend!
I will join you! We have been hiding our shame and struggles for too long. I love this story and your application.
Thank you my friend. You did great with your talk today, that was very much in keeping with The Promise.
Perfect Parable! So easy to only see what appears to be perfect, not knowing what is really going on underneath. Thanks for the reminder that being real and vulnerable is important, in the great moments and not so great moments!
Thank you Dannette! Well said.
Yeah, but what about the poor little mouse?
LOL! Grabbed him with the pool net and set him softly in the dirt…where he was quickly consumed by birds and ants right in front of me! Like a bad movie!