One of the most powerful things I ever learned!! The *feeling* of it came to me one day in the airport. We got delayed on the tarmac. Had to switch planes. Another delay. I watched the clock signaling my doom, fearing I’d miss my connection. I was in the back of the plane. I knew the likelihood of me getting off there in enough time to run across the terminal was slim. I was one of the people those without connections generously allowed to deplane first. I said thanks and zipped out to the board. Yup. My connection had been on time and already departed.
Extreme disappointment. I’d done all I could but I was powerless. I was also in the back of hundreds of people having to rebook. Annnnd…
Boom. Everything flipped as I stated at that board and the massive line. Instant calm. Dare I call it the tranquility of “what’re ya gonna do?” Tell ya what I did.
People were PISSED. Being jerks. Elbowing. Shouting at agents. Hundreds. Fuck that. I went into this radical acceptance mode and instead took myself for a nice leisurely dinner. I read a book. I moseyed up when there were only a handful of people left. I was extra sweet to the agents because hello?!?! NOT their fault. I put some balm on 2 hours of their wounding. They bent over backwards to rebook the whole rest of my trip. I did get there. Had less time to prep for my show. But I’d rested in the airport instead of aching and mooing in a line of stressed out people, burning up all my energy being pissed and adding to the crappy situation all around me. Wound up staying a 5 star hotel that night at no cost to me too, because all the people ahead of me got the cheap ones.
I think of that moment a LOT. Yes, I struggle and battle against something bad happening. I do all I can to prevent it. And when the inevitable happens…when the connection is impossible to make and the doom is sealed—I always pray to have the wherewithal to go this direction. The situation is shitty enough without all…that.
And that IS in my control.
Usually. Sometimes my nervous system is collapsing so I am subject to the whims and throes of my animal brain-in-pain. But with how adept I’ve become at self-soothing (and power napping…and quick pressure-release-valve crying), I can usually get there now. Even if it takes a bit more work. Because I practice on the smaller stuff. Like airports. And traffic jams.
Thank you for the reminder. I’m having to do this for a couple bigger things right now. It’s good to be reminded of the *feeling* I’m aiming for.
This is a GREAT story. And exactly what I'm talking about. It's truly amazing what can happen when we just relax into life. Now I just wish I could somehow make that my default setting.
This is how I thought about Covid lockdowns. Watched everyone losing their minds around me as the days ticked into weeks. I just did yoga in my loungeroom and wrote a novel.
Yeah, 2020 ended up being a pretty great year for our little family. We spent a good portion of it with my wife's family, and it allowed me to really lean into a remote job I'd gotten right at the same time the lockdowns started.
One of the most powerful things I ever learned!! The *feeling* of it came to me one day in the airport. We got delayed on the tarmac. Had to switch planes. Another delay. I watched the clock signaling my doom, fearing I’d miss my connection. I was in the back of the plane. I knew the likelihood of me getting off there in enough time to run across the terminal was slim. I was one of the people those without connections generously allowed to deplane first. I said thanks and zipped out to the board. Yup. My connection had been on time and already departed.
Extreme disappointment. I’d done all I could but I was powerless. I was also in the back of hundreds of people having to rebook. Annnnd…
Boom. Everything flipped as I stated at that board and the massive line. Instant calm. Dare I call it the tranquility of “what’re ya gonna do?” Tell ya what I did.
People were PISSED. Being jerks. Elbowing. Shouting at agents. Hundreds. Fuck that. I went into this radical acceptance mode and instead took myself for a nice leisurely dinner. I read a book. I moseyed up when there were only a handful of people left. I was extra sweet to the agents because hello?!?! NOT their fault. I put some balm on 2 hours of their wounding. They bent over backwards to rebook the whole rest of my trip. I did get there. Had less time to prep for my show. But I’d rested in the airport instead of aching and mooing in a line of stressed out people, burning up all my energy being pissed and adding to the crappy situation all around me. Wound up staying a 5 star hotel that night at no cost to me too, because all the people ahead of me got the cheap ones.
I think of that moment a LOT. Yes, I struggle and battle against something bad happening. I do all I can to prevent it. And when the inevitable happens…when the connection is impossible to make and the doom is sealed—I always pray to have the wherewithal to go this direction. The situation is shitty enough without all…that.
And that IS in my control.
Usually. Sometimes my nervous system is collapsing so I am subject to the whims and throes of my animal brain-in-pain. But with how adept I’ve become at self-soothing (and power napping…and quick pressure-release-valve crying), I can usually get there now. Even if it takes a bit more work. Because I practice on the smaller stuff. Like airports. And traffic jams.
Thank you for the reminder. I’m having to do this for a couple bigger things right now. It’s good to be reminded of the *feeling* I’m aiming for.
This is a GREAT story. And exactly what I'm talking about. It's truly amazing what can happen when we just relax into life. Now I just wish I could somehow make that my default setting.
Right?!?!
Great story!
Love this. Simply “making the best” of the new circumstances can be hard but sooo rewarding
This is how I thought about Covid lockdowns. Watched everyone losing their minds around me as the days ticked into weeks. I just did yoga in my loungeroom and wrote a novel.
Yeah, 2020 ended up being a pretty great year for our little family. We spent a good portion of it with my wife's family, and it allowed me to really lean into a remote job I'd gotten right at the same time the lockdowns started.
100%. Replace yoga with dance, hiking, meditation and whaling on the bag. 🤣🤓🤣
So needed — need — to be reminded of this pretty much daily. Thanks.