If you’re lucky, your life will be a bit of a journey. There will be ups and downs and some unexpected detours. You’ll go places sometimes and occasionally feel like you’re standing still.
Every day won’t be great or fun. Some days will be downright hard. If you’re lucky, there will be adventure and, if you’re lucky, there will be some quiet too.
It’s nice when there’s balance and planning. But you know something? Odds are pretty good that you won’t always feel like you’re in control. You’ll feel like you’re along for the ride.
And you know something else? That’s not always a bad thing.
I stopped for gas a while back and noticed this scruffy little dog peering at me while waiting for his owner to come back. He looks like the type that would enjoy having the wind in his ears and a good old fashioned joy ride around town.
I was in a hurry to get somewhere and he seemed to be laughing at me as I rushed to start the car.
Silly human. Enjoy the journey, he seemed to say.
And that’s what I’m telling you as well. Whether today is good, bad or indifferent and whether you’re moving forward or standing still, enjoy this day and wherever it takes you.
No matter what’s happening in this world, know this: you most likely cannot change most of it.
What you can do, though, is change how you react, how you internalize, and how you pitch in to make the world better in whatever small way you can.
Even if your contribution is only to not make matters worse or only to make your slice of this earth better for you and those around you, that’s something.
No matter what’s going on in this world, make your bed, go for a walk, bake some cookies, and wash your dishes.
No matter what’s going on in this world, feather your nest and do what you can as well as you can. Just keep going. Keep breathing.
No matter what’s going on in this world, as long as you keep trying and as long as you don’t harm yourself trying to shoulder the burden, it will be fine.
Yesterday took me on the road to a couple of neighboring communities for work projects. I normally enjoy these days because I get to drive and see things, maybe eat somewhere out of the ordinary or pop into a store on my lunch break. I get to see different people and maybe even meet new ones.
Yesterday was odd though. I left home early and it was still kind of dark, a little gloomy even. As the sky lightened and visibility became easier, it seemed the world was determined to throw at me every obstacle available.
First, a bobcat crossed my path. This was a happy occurrence because it was the second I have seen in a week and their mere presence in the wild always makes me happy.
Then came a parade of school buses, emergency vehicles,cars that pulled out quick only to go slow, a front end loader carrying a big box, mail cars, and an 18 wheeler blocking the entire road as it attempted to back into a driveway. That was all first thing in the morning and conditions really didn’t improve for the entire rest of the trip.
I drove up on an unplanned road closure so I detoured the best way I knew how only to run into a detour on the detour. A horse in the edge of the road and a couple of Amish buggies later and I was back on track. The most terrifying event of the day though came while traveling on Lancaster’s busy Memorial Drive where I encountered a young adult man in the middle of the street. It is a miracle that I could swerve without hitting him or another car. I felt bad for just driving on but both lanes of traffic behind me stopped and I saw someone running across the street toward the man.
Here’s hoping he got the help he needs – not just in that moment – but in the grand scheme of life.
I traveled far less than a hundred miles yesterday but it seemed longer and was an eventful trip at nearly every turn. Some of it was kind of entertaining while many of these obstacles felt frustrating, distracting and downright scary. Yet I tried not to let it all distract me and to get to where I needed to be safely.
You see, this kind of day always makes me think that someone is looking out for my best interests. The time spent behind the buggies or waiting for the trucker to back into his destination may very well have thrown off my timing enough to avoid an accident. Things happen in the blink of an eye and just a fraction of a second could mean the difference between life and death or at least damage to body and property.
Things didn’t go as planned. So what? I made it home safe and I lived to tell the tale. I got a story out of it. Tomorrow is a new day. Maybe it will be more productive.
I tell you to make the journey fun but we have established here that the journey isn’t always fun. In fact, it can be pretty hard at times. But the journey is life and life is the journey. If you try letting go of the angst and worry and simply enjoy the trip,, you might find it’s a lot easier than you believed.
That’s my story and I’m sticking to it. Be safe out there, friends. Look out for those obstacles but exercise a bit of patience and try to enjoy your day – wherever it takes you!
PS – the above photo was made during yesterday’s unplanned shenanigans.
My friend Nichola and I have similar travel philosophies. In fact, I trust her judgment so much that I happily stepped aside as she and her husband planned the entire DC trip. They gave me some choices here and there but I more less asked when to arrive and how much money to bring.
We both are of a mind that you can sleep when you’re dead and that you never know what the next bend in the road may bring. As long as you’re already there, you may as well find out.
Her husband asked me if I’m a destination person or a journey person.
Regular readers here likely know the answer to that question. While I’m capable of going straight to a destination I’m much happier when the journey IS the destination. It’s far more fun when you’re free to go off chasing rabbits as opportunities present themselves.
I think he was appalled when I explained this. “Jesus, Mary and Joseph! You two will never get there,” he exclaimed.
We did make it with a few stops here and there and I don’t regret a single one. That’s how I got to experience the dappled light of a late summer morning as I emerged from tree cover and onto an overlook created by the Civilian Conservation Corps. That’s how I got to buy juicy, fresh peaches from a farm stand and see a geological wonder while the rest of the world zoomed by on the interstate below.
Stories on these and other rabbit hunts to come soon.
Meanwhile, here’s a picture of another fun experience – a giant blue rooster. It’s by German born artist Katharina Fritsch. You can see it from the street as you pass by the National Gallery of Art on the East Building’s rooftop terrace.
It was a gift to the museum earlier this year after being created for a project in London in 2013.
The rooster is often associated with awakening, resilience and strength. For this reason, the 14-foot tall piece was donated to the national museum by Glenstone Museum. It’s to honor the American people as a symbol of hope and resilience during the darkness of the pandemic.
I like to ask employees about something they like in their museum. From ticket takers to security guards and docents, most people have something they like to mention to visitors. I befriended an employee who recommended seeing the only Da Vinci painting in America as well as this crazy blue rooster.
Nichola and I were all in for both pieces even though they literally could not be more different.
Seriously, friends: a 550 year old Florentine girl portrayed by one of the world’s masters versus a giant acrylic and steel blue rooster not even a decade old. They are vastly different.
Visiting the rooster gave access to two more things of note- an installation of giant numbers and a fabulous view of the Capitol building grounds.
So, yeah, having a destination is great. Just remember that some of the greatest finds and most fabulous experiences come as you chase that rabbit, or in this case a rooster, around the next bend.
The Bicentennial Barn in Athens County is looking a bit shabby but I couldn’t resist swinging by for a quick picture this weekend.
Each of Ohio’s 88 counties received the gift of a specially painted barn as part of Ohio’s bicentennial celebration back in 2003. I have written about this barn a couple of times – once as a young newspaper reporter and once on this blog. In fact, I hope you’ll go read the blog story by clicking here.
The sky was a rich blue on Saturday and the bend in the road is such that it always makes me want to drive new roads. Instead, I drove home and cleaned my house but at least I had a moment to enjoy this day and place.
Sometimes we need that, even those brief moments, to recharge and be ready for whatever lies ahead.
The Bicentennial Barn in Athens County is looking a bit shabby but I couldn’t resist swinging by for a quick picture this weekend.