SMILE

4630 photos in my photo library and I cannot find the picture that best represent my good friend Laura. She came up to visit with her boyfriend Read last year and unfortunately I lost the memory card from the camera before I could import the photos.

Laura is a beautiful girl with a tremendous smile. Whenever I think of her, I see the smile in my mind’s eye. Laura is a fellow adventure traveler. She just got back from a trip to Costa Rica. I love hearing her travel stories. She reminds me that I need to travel more.

I met Laura a couple of years ago while staying at the JR Ranch in New Mexico. Laura introduced me to her wonderful friends in Arroyo Seco and took me on  a tour to see her art studio. She also has a wood kiln and one day I will go back and make some pottery with her.

I was trying my best to help a friend Mike with taking care of some horses but my inexperience with physical labor resulted in pulling my back on the second day. It was winter and the snow and ice combined with my injured back made walking very difficult. Laura came to the rescue and took me to a woman who could fix my back.

There was a huge snowstorm the previous day and the roads were deep with snow. But undaunted, Laura put me in her car and drove me to her friend’s house.

I was upstairs on a massage table with Laura’s friend who worked to relieve my swollen back, all the while looking out the window. I watched for an hour of the scene that took place at Laura’s car. After we pulled into the driveway, Laura’s car was stuck in the snow.

I watched Laura try to dig the car out through what seemed to be insurmountable odds. I was sure that we’d would be stuck there until spring thaw. I felt terrible, not about my back, but for what that situation must be doing to her back. But Laura is tougher than I am. With some ingenuity, a chain and another car, she was able to get the car unstuck.

I emerged from the house, my back felt 1000 times better and Laura came to help me into the car. As we pulled away, Laura said in the most understated manner, “We had a little car trouble”.

I know. I saw.

Today I thank: Laura, Danielle, Karsten, Sam, Corey and Yvie.

Worth the wait?

osting the final entry in the series. Did I learn my lesson? I think so. Things take time and sometimes you just need to wait. Commit to a decision and let nature take its course. I’ve forced myself in this little exercise to not jump to any conclusions, not fall into an impulse decision. I’m committed to shed myself of the complication and concentrate.

The other thing I have to remind myself is the possibility of failure. I might fail. It’s OK to fail. At least I tried.

But this time, I really don’t want to fail. Really.

Time

he food here is awful”.

“Yes, and in such small portions”

For me a version of this joke plays out every day. Instead of food, my version is time. It’s really my fault. It’s not that I don’t have time, its that I don’t have time that completely belongs to me. That is also my fault. So the new resolution is to not give away my time.

My time is precious to me. If you need me, get on the schedule. Don’t be surprised or disappointed if I say no. Rolling the die.

I do make one or two exceptions… you know who you are.

Oh and the surprise was sent out in the mail today. I hope it brightens up someone’s day.