Rollerblading Through Life

A young woman rollerblading in an airport terminal.

Rollerblading Through Life

“Did TSA hassle you about those?”  I asked, immediately upon slowing and walking closer to a fellow, young woman traveler.

“No!” The young woman, from Boseman, Montana, said to me.  “I don’t think they have any rules about things like this.  In fact, they’ve made comments about how cool it is.”

Of course, I wanted to know more because of my aching feet and admiration for her creativity.

‘I’m flying between Boseman and Tucson.  I knew I had a long, three-hour layover here, so I thought of a way to have a little fun while waiting around in the airport.”  She continued.

“When I flew in here two days ago, I used my fitness tracker to check the distance from the aircraft gate to rental car pickup and it was a 1.19-mile walk!  Rollerblading that distance would have been a breeze!  You’re the coolest person I’ve ever met!”  I commented while beaming with admiration.

But, my appreciation didn’t stop there.  Here is, perhaps, the more important principle this delightful woman taught me one snowy day, while waiting for a flight in an international airport.

I’ve passed through that same airport six times over the past two weeks and here’s an example to illustrate the story I’ve self-crafted and expressed to others about my experience.

Last week, when overhearing a man and woman ask an information agent how to get to another concourse, he gave them directions with a smile.  And, as you may have guessed, I had to give them a little extra information and advice as well. 

“Make sure you stop to get food and drink before you begin the long walk!  If you don’t, you may die from starvation or thirst before you get to your gate!”

Luckily, they were delightful people and simply laughed at my guidance.  Yet, this conversation with is a perfect synopsis of the story I had made up about traveling through that airport.

We all create such “stories” during our lives.  They build upon each other over time to become thousands and thousands of short stories that combine into one great, whole.  It’s our own unique narrative.  And, that rollerblading, joy-seeking-traveler taught me that our stories can be edited!  It’s our choice.

Here’s what an edited, new story, about my trips through that same airport could have been, had I simply used newly learned “Rollerblading Creativity.” 

“I found the best place in the world to spend time having fun on my rollerblades!  You might not believe it, but a large international airport is a place with the longest, climate-controlled blading corridors ever.  When there, I get to use my waiting time to get exercise, breeze between connections and cruise quickly to the rental car center.  But, perhaps the best part is seeing the reaction of other travelers as they see the ‘crazy’ sixty-something man skating around like a kid!”

While creating this new narrative I was interrupted.

“Paging Lynn Butterfield. Please board now!  This is your final call!”

Upon hearing this I quickly gathered my things and sprinted over to the gate agent.

“Lynn Butterfield?”  He queried.

“Yes!  I’m so sorry!  I was working (writing about roller blading around the concourse) and lost track of the time (because I was having so much fun).”  I replied as the agent scanned the boarding image from my phone.

I walked down the jet-bridge, smiling.  The time I’d spent editing this one short story of my life completely changed my airport experience.  It increased my joy and my spirits.

‘I’m flying between Boseman and Tucson.  I knew I had a long, three-hour layover here, so I thought of a way to have a little fun while waiting around in the airport.”  An amazing stranger said to me a couple of hours earlier.

Thank goodness she was there to teach me about rollerblading through life by editing the short stories, I’ve already created, and will soon write while living a lot more creatively.

Riding to a Higher Place

 

A Farmer’s Field Art

Riding to a Higher Place

The early morning air was, well, it was just plain cold.  It was January after all.  And, the sun was not up yet.  That all added up to a cold, dark walk to the airport terminal.  Even at this early hour I was focused on giving myself marching orders.

“Don’t walk too casually on that patch of ice or you’ll find yourself on the asphalt!”  I muttered as I walked forward.

It was going to be a hectic day for sure.  Not just because I was traveling.  These days It seems as if most days are on the edge of being frenzied.  Sometimes I think it’s just me.  It most likely is. Yet, as I swim my way through most days it seems as if others around me are sharing the experience of being harried.

Perhaps that feeling was being amplified during this particular moment.  I left a little late to drive to the airport.  Then, I walked half way to the terminal before I remembered my face-shielding mask was sitting in my car.  So, I walked back to my car, got the mask, walked to the terminal, put it on and was instructed to remove it, when a TSA Agent wanted to compare my face to the photo on my driver’s license.

Snap!

The ear-bands on that mask, thing, broke as I began to lift if away!

Luckily, the TSA Agent simply smiled, said, “Not a problem!”, and handed me a fresh mask so I could continue on.  Whew!

I made the flight and settled into my seat so I could fret about all the things I needed to get done for the day.  Then, there was a magical moment that changed the way I was going about living for the rest of this day.

A little daily sunshine always goes a long way toward lifting my spirits, so I decided to slide that little window shade cover up, just to let a little enlightenment ride the light into my brain.  And, it just so happened.

There in the dawn, in the dim morning light, as the world was coming alive again, I saw the distinct image of a huge horse in a field below.  There were other field shapes too.  But, this one was not the regular square, rectangle or circle.  Its image was distinctive, divergent, inspiring and made me wonder.

“I never would have seen this had I not been lifted ‘above it all’.  I wonder what other wonders I’m missing by not taking the time to allow myself to be lifted on a regular basis?”

It’s easy to become caught, trapped in the regular.  Caught up in the hustle and bustle of everyday life.  When that happens, it becomes difficult to see just how magical the world really is.  It’s hard to see how inspiring our universe is if you aren’t somehow lifted out of what you’re seeing on the ground, to a higher vantage point.

There are all kinds of vehicles to take us, you and me, to such a place.  It could be the time you take to create inspiring art, just like the farmer who brings horses alive by growing them as huge murals in the form of a crop.  Or perhaps you like to write?  It might be the time you take to exercise?  It doesn’t really matter what lifts you.  What is important is to find what that thing is and to allow it to give you a ride to a higher place, out of the everyday hustle and bustle, on a regular basis.

The early morning air is, regularly, just plain cold in January.  And, even though the sun was not up yet on just such a day, it was about to rise.  What I didn’t know, as I was walking to the airport terminal, was that I was about to ride an airplane to experience how one farmer’s field-art would teach, anyone who saw it, about the importance of being lifted to a better vantage point.

Imaginable Possibilities

“You’re looking at it wrong!  It’s a rag now!” – Thomas Korcorkov

Imaginable Possibilities

“First thing we need to do is clean this work space.” Tom said to me as we began.

“Okay.”  I said as I walked to the table closest to me.

Once at the table I was amazed at the wide array there.  But, it was one item that caught my attention right off.

“What’s this?”  I scoffed, while holding a white athletic sock that had seen better days.

“Just put it over there.”  Tom replied.

“Tom!  There’s a big hole in it!  If you need new socks I’ll gladly buy some for you.”

Of course, I knew he didn’t need me to buy socks for him. Tom is one of the most talented, successful physicists I’ve ever known.  And, he has more money than most people could ever spend in a couple of lifetimes, because he’s successfully invented and commercialized three or four products that have widely changed the world in which we live.  To simply say he’s improved life for millions would be selling his achievements short.  Yes.  I knew all of that.  What I didn’t know was that his quick response to my snippy statement would forever change my perspective.  

“You’re looking at it wrong!  It’s a rag now!” Tom quipped.

Yes.  This was one of those seemingly innumerable times when I’ve failed to recognize value simply because I didn’t open my eyes internally; to take advantage of my heart and mind’s vision, curious sight, toward imaginable possibilities.  Perhaps this one moment and exchange with Tom was an expression of how differently we think.  If nothing else, it definitely gave me a little more insight into how he thinks and why he’s able to see opportunities which are imperceptible to most others.

Thomas Edison, another of our world’s greatest inventors, said, “When you have exhausted all possibilities, remember this - you haven't.”

The memory of Thomas Edison’s words caused me to pause for a second time within a span of five seconds.  It was a pause that allowed me to begin to open-up.  To submit myself to becoming a student.  To blend the words of the two Thomas’ into one, insightful lesson.

“First thing we need to do is clean this work space.” Tom said to me as we began.

“Okay.”  I said, not realizing at the time he was speaking of cleaning the workspace of the mind. 

Once prepared, I was amazed at the wide array of new possibilities to be imagined there.  But, it was one item that caught my attention right off.

“What’s this?”  I asked, as I held up a mind opening catalyst, once used as a white athletic sock and then as a rag.

That’s when I recognized new understanding.  New growth!  The comingled words of the two Thomas’ had guided me toward beginning to see imaginable possibilities.

Tale Lights

“Tale” lights messaging peace and goodwill.

Tale Lights

It was a cold December night.  Luckily, we were sort of sitting snug within the cocoon of warmth created by our car.  In a way, it also felt as if we were trapped inside another cocoon; our restaurant parking stall.  We were getting to know that stall way too well!  That wasn’t part of our initial plan.

The plan was simple.  Go to one of our local restaurants, pick up some takeout, drive the hot food home and enjoy it while sitting fireside.  Yet, upon arrival at the restaurant it was immediately clear that the line for drive-up service was seemingly a length longer than a child’s anticipation for Christmas Morning.  That was much longer than I was interested in.  So, I opted to park, walk inside and carry out our order.  I should have paid a more attention to the length of that line!

As we walked past the lined-up cars again, while carrying our just purchased, carefully packaged food, it was hardly a bother.  And, since the food was hot we decided to enjoy it at its best, right up to the time it was gone.  

When our food was gone, the line of cars was not.  And, it appeared to be growing!  So, there we sat, waiting in hope for an opening to leave, until it felt as if we were beginning to grow too.  Roots!

Fearing an ever-increasing depth to our sprouting roots, I decided to start the car, place it in reverse and prepare to take advantage of a slight opening for an escape.  

I know what you’re thinking right now!  Yes.  I am an unfailing optimist!

You know what holiday-time-traffic can be like.  This scene was that.  

And then, in an instant, it was suddenly not that typical holiday-time-traffic scene! Because, as soon as our backup lights flickered to life, they seemingly triggered a chain reaction of goodwill. The rearview mirror showed the lights of the car behind as they immediately twinkled to life. One. 

Then another. 

Then another.  

And, another.  

Within another moment there was backward creeping!

The blocking line of cars, once moving in a unified, single direction became a bifurcated string.  The cars on my left-rear were stalled, waiting for a voice over the order speaker to offer them hope.  The cars on my right-left immediately offered their own display of hope.

The car behind me nudged to life, creeping back in unison with those to its rear.  And, within the twinkling of more than a dozen backup lights, an escape gap was opened!

I looked in my rearview mirror, checked it twice and then carefully maneuvered into the opening.  Once there I stopped the car and touched a button so the moon roof would slide into its hide-away spot.  I reached my hand through the roof, into the cold air outside and gave a wave of gratitude!

It was a cold December night.  Luckily, we were sitting snug within the cocoon of warmth created by the goodness of strangers.  The plan was simple.  Go to one of our local restaurants, pick up some takeout, drive the hot food home and enjoy it while sitting fireside.  

Yet, rather than watching the flicker of flames from a fire, our hearts feasted on the flicker of “tale” lights messaging peace and goodwill.