Thrashing Around in the Sea

Thanksgiving was much different for most of us this year. We miss family and friends. We are exhausted. We wonder about the ‘return to normal’.

I thought about Jonathan Martin's, How to Survive a Shipwreck - Help is on the Way.

The following quote is a highlight of the first chapter.

"You can lose your boat, lose your house with all the pictures inside it, lose your job, lose your most defining relationship. And still not lose you. And still not lose your soul. And still not lose your faith. Make no mistake: You will be stripped down in the shipwreck. But you will not be lost."

"On the other side of them (shipwrecks), there is a stronger, deeper, richer, more integrated life. That on the other side of the storm that tears you to pieces is a capacity to love without doubt, to live without fear, to be something infinitely more powerful than the man or woman you were before it happened."

Some might be in the throes of personal shipwrecks and some might never have experienced one. But there are better than average chances that someday you will be pummeled in a sea of change.  

Outcome Dependence

• A card is thoughtfully sent for a birthday, a celebration, or even a no-reason-at-all moment but there is no response.  Sent electronically, you know it has been read, but the reply is not forthcoming.
• For quite a while you have been crawling along the road during an extreme rush hour situation.  Coming upon an intersection, you see a queue of cars waiting on a side road to enter the main artery.  From the number of vehicles behind that first car, you know they have been waiting for some time to insert themselves into the snail-paced stream of going-nowhere-fast-automobiles. You stop and indicate a willingness to let them enter. Looking at this opportunity they immediately react but there is no response to your considerate behavior.
• One more.  Your job is salaried.  Understanding that will mean a more flexible schedule, you also know that there will probably be more than 40 hours spent most weeks.  You have taken the day off for a well-deserved break.  Nevertheless, someone scheduled a required meeting anyway.  You will need to break up your day to attend and spend 2 hours of your PTO working.  Although somewhat expected, there is still no acknowledgment for your sacrifice.

Be First

I suspect we have all witnessed events like these.

• Gridlocked, you notice someone weaving in and out of clogged lanes.  They scratch and crawl and change lanes so often as to be uncountable.  You've watched for nearly 10 minutes and they've succeeded.  They are now 2 cars in front of you.  They are first.  
• As your turn arrives at a 4-way stop, someone insists on attaching themselves in "two-for" style by following bumper-to-bumper on the tail of another as they move through the intersection.  Ignoring custom, this person scrambles to make you wait.  Hooray! They have achieved first place - exactly one car ahead of you.
• You are hosting a dinner party and have spent 45 minutes shopping.  It's the holiday season and everyone is doing the same.  The grocery line is queued and you're 5th in line.  A considerate clerk recognizes the build-up of customers and opens a new checkout line. It happens at the speed of light. The newest person in line dives at warp speed to be the first in the new lane. "Congratulations", you whisper under your breath.  Well, maybe not.

As this 'I'm number one" philosophy seems to be built into our cultural DNA, let's BE first then.

• Be first to make eye contact.
• Be first to smile.
• Be first to greet a stranger.
• Be first to apologize.
• Be first to say thank you.
• Be first to say - you first.

Alright then, we want to be first.  This is how we do it.

It's the Job's Fault

I am betting that no matter what you do, no matter where you do it, no matter who you report to or what tasks you’re scheduled to complete, you have at some point in time uttered the words, “I hate my job.”  (Note:  I am just talking about you, of course.  Depending on who is reading this, let me make it perfectly clear that I have NEVER said that! – no, really!)

You might then:

• Decide to retaliate by doing only the bare minimum work as defined by you.  You might use words like, “It’s not my job”, or “I’m not getting paid to do that, or even, “I punch in at 8 and punch out at 5 – exactly 5, not a minute later.”
• Decide to tweak your resume’ and begin the process of leaving.  You’ll hold on because you need the paycheck but continue working in a state of resentment, bitterness, and mistrust.  Clearly, you are under-appreciated.  It’s obvious to everyone that people have no respect for you or what you do. The grass is greener . . .
• Decide to be grateful as so many have no source of income.  You suddenly remember that Covid-19 has disrupted millions of lives.  People who were dedicated and productive employees (or contractors, or business owners) were pushed out of the work-force through no fault of their own.  You bite-the-bullet and buckle down ‘working until something better comes along’.  You stay invisible but do little to change the circumstances.

You can easily see that in each case, the choice is yours.  You are in control and you have options – just pick one.

Instruments

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace

Where there is hatred, let me sow love

Where there is injury, pardon

Where there is doubt, faith

Where there is despair, hope

Where there is darkness, light

And where there is sadness, joy

O Divine Master, grant that I may

Not so much seek to be consoled as to console

To be understood, as to understand

To be loved, as to love

For it is in giving that we receive

And it's in pardoning that we are pardoned

And it's in dying that we are born to Eternal Life

Amen

Two Versions of the song, both worth the time to listen

Sarah McLachlan and students from The Sarah McLachlan School of Music - the Prayer of St. Francis.

Katherine Jenkins - Make Me A Channel of Your Peace

Lyrics Source: LyricFind

IT is Coming

The first time that I heard an ad stating that "IT is coming" was probably around 2002 plus or minus a year.  The content of that promotion became a reality with the introduction and purchase of the Segway PT (Personal Transporter). 

That machine brought things to my life both good and bad.  Continued discussions may occur in future articles but suffice to say that the announcement that this marvel will no longer be made became just one of the many losses endured in 2020.  

One could make a good case for 2020 being a year of loss. There will always be trouble but this season affected every facet of our humanity.  We certainly have a right to hold whatever feelings we have as this span draws to a close.  

But the "IT" in the title today refers to this Tuesday, the 3rd of November.

If you haven't already, you might be planning to stand in line and wait to cast your ballot.  That in itself will begin to bring an emotional response to most of us regardless of the decision we have made.