The wife and I have been using that phrase a lot lately. I’m not sure what the deal is. When you are around other people more, you get to see what decisions they make. Since teachers have more time in the summer, I guess I get out more. Maybe it’s good for me.
Well, there’s an old phrase: “Not my circus, not my monkeys.” It’s a Polish proverb, according to the internet, so it’s even better than I thought!
When we have an impulse to step in and help someone, it’s probably not our business. Childrearing, food choices, clothing choices, screentime, you name it. It’s hard to not notice all the things going on around me. This phrase keeps my heart in check in a light-hearted way.
Here’s the problem though, I can’t remember the circus. I think I went once when I was younger. The wife never went. As a result, we really don’t know what we’re talking about when it comes to the circus.
There is one pop culture reference to a circus that we do have in common though. It’s from the movie A Bug’s Life. You remember: the bugs that went around doing tricks. They came to help the ant colony stand up to the mean grasshoppers in the Pixar classic that we’ve all seen.
So, the phrase has shifted in our family. It’s no longer “Not my circus…” It’s been replaced with “Not my bugs.”
I hope you find it useful in your own life.
As you can see, “bug circus” gave some interesting photo choices. Enjoy!
Mr. Klunick Tutoring 