Chill out, louse

Photo by Yara Simón

“Calma piojo, que la noche es larga.” 

Literally speaking, this translates to: “Calm down, louse. The night is long.” Given this, you might think that lice are wildly active. That maybe they’re jumping and hopping around your skull (sorry for the gross visual), but they’re not. Lice, which are mostly inactive, crawl around your hair and make themselves at home, mating and laying eggs. (Once again, sorry for the gross visual.) 

They’re a nuisance and getting rid of them is kind of a pain in the butt. So if you find yourself on the receiving end of these words, then you’re likely being kind of a pest. I know I was. Whenever I wanted instant gratification, my mom said these words to me. I wish I could remember a specific example of when she employed this phrase, but the truth is she used it regularly. If I was excited about something (like, I don’t know, buying a new dress for Homecoming), I wanted it right then and there, and my mom had to constantly remind me that the world didn’t revolve around me and that I shouldn’t expect to get things when I wanted them. 

While most people don’t want to be compared to a creepy-crawly, it’s a pretty endearing phrase. Not only is it signaling that you may need to re-evaluate your behavior, but it also offers some wise words of advice. It asks you to be patient and is infinitely more fun to say than, “Patience is a virtue.” It’s also a much-needed reminder to slow down – and as adults, this is exactly what some of us need to hear. 

Oftentimes, we want things to happen faster than they should. Maybe it’s because we’re seeing how successful others are on social media or because you just feel you should be further along in your career than you actually are. I get it and have been there and will probably be there again and again. But the truth is that you have time. You don’t need to be incredibly successful by 25 or 35 or even 45 and so on. Yes, life is short and you should go for your goals, but you should also know that you have time. All you can do is chip away at your dreams one day at a time.  

So chill out, don’t freak out and remember que la noche es larga.