Benign Neglect

Did you know that hash browns require benign neglect? 

I did not, until this morning.

The instructions were clear:

Shred the Yukon gold. Grate some onion into it.

Mush out the water with a paper towel.

Salt and pepper the mix.

Check again for water to mush out. 

Heat your cast iron skillet.

Put in butter and/or oil (butter, please)

Line the potatoes in the skillet. Press them down.

Walk away.

Leave them alone to cook for 7-8 minutes.

This is where I got into trouble. I yearned to negotiate with the potatoes.

I wanted reassurance that they were crisping.
I wanted progress reports.
I wanted evidence that something was happening beneath the surface.

The hash browns, as it turned out, had no interest in my management style.

They wanted time to cook undisturbed, without me poking at them every two minutes.

The hash browns eventually browned.

Not because I checked them.

Not because I worried about them.

Not because I negotiated with them.

They browned because heat, time, and gravity were already doing their work.

I am beginning to wonder whether some parts of my life might be operating under similar laws.

Not everything, of course.

Some things require action.
Some things require courage.
Some things require difficult conversations.

But some things may simply require enough heat, enough time, and the willingness to stop interrupting the process.

So this morning, for ten minutes at least, I decided on benign neglect and poured myself another cup of coffee.