Ducks Don’t Want To Be In a Row

And other mental hygiene from the Sooth Fairy

B. Lorraine Smith
3 min readFeb 25, 2023
Ducks (not in a row) resting on the ice near the Lachine Rapids in the St. Lawrence River. (Photo by me)

The Sooth Fairy left something under my pillow again. She does that from time to time when she gets word another piece of my mind is coming loose. Instead of money she leaves a bit of mental floss so I can clear out any ossified, plaque-like notions. Sometimes things get very loose before they firm up again.

Ducks have other plans

I have a bunch of loose ends flapping at me — some life bits that have come unbraided.

Question marks about my work: I’m cresting the wave of Matereality at the end of April and then…?

Wondering where I live: my lease runs out soon — with the heavy smokers next door I can’t open a window or enjoy the balcony without getting fumigated — do I stay?

My finances are confusing as the apparently never-ending tail of a cross-border divorce keeps whipping me in the bureaucratic arse. Will I be starting from scratch?

I just want to get my ducks in a row, you know? Then I’ll be able to… to… do, you know, other stuff.

Sooth Fairy, sage sprite that she is, took me for a nice run along the river this morning and showed me some ducks. They were…

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B. Lorraine Smith

Former sustainability consultant replacing ESG with reality-based insights about corporate purpose and impact. https://www.blorrainesmith.com/