It Has Been Some Kind Of Day

Got a text from my daughter a little after 9:15 saying they were evacuated from their dorm.

Fit with a day that started out with my debating whether to send a particular email because of a gut feeling.

Heard a story that made me quite angry about how some people were mistreated and intermixed in it all I handled a particularly challenging situation.

Got an email around six saying that the situation was resolved and felt pretty damn good because I know it was my efforts that made the difference.

Thirty minutes later I got an email letting me know I had won a contest and debated whether to have a celebratory drink.

Opted not to and went back to the computer and leaned into a few things because when you’re already dancing in the fire you don’t stop– you push forward.

50 Ways To Skin A Cat

Hanging for a moment with Billy Idol while he sings Prodigal Blues cuz a piece of it fits my mood.

Riding my life
Like a run-a-way train
Moving from
One track to that
Howling, crying,
Screaming at the moon
Only my voice came back
Only the echo came back

Memories of working on a project with the elder Wilner men and hearing them say “you can’t screw an old head on young shoulders” and the irritation it used to fill me with.

Grew up to recognize it is applicable to people who are considered grown ups but lack the emotional IQ and awareness to own the age their bodies occupy.

Had a conversation with the younger Mr. Wilner about 50 ways to skin a cat and why to remember it.

Explained there are often multiple ways to solve some the challenges we sometimes face and to remember there are multiple ways to apply pressure.

We talked about a three dimensional chess board and how we visualize what pieces we wish to move and how so that we can achieve particular goals and objectives.

****

Called my daughter after I received her text about being evacuated to check on her and remind her the most important thing she can do is stay calm.

“Take a breath, look around and assess. Is it a drill or real.”

Turns out it was a drill and that they’ll do drills for tornados and lock down. The damn lock down drills infuriate me most.

Can’t get angry with a tornado or a fire, but the idiocy of the things that led us to lock downs– I can get angry about that.

Doesn’t mean she doesn’t need to know what to do any more than the rest of the family does- and yeah, we have a work drill for that.

But those elder Wilner men I mentioned are never far enough away for me to forget we were raised to do what we need to do.

Getting angry and acting entitled isn’t part of it.

Went through my own hell and came out the other side so I know the advice works not that is particularly profound.

“Grit your teeth, plant your feet and keep going. Lying down is not an option.”

Perspective & Gratitude

Sometimes it grinds on me when people talk about the importance of perspective and gratitude.

It was especially irritating when I felt like I was drowning and it was all I could do to get to the next day.

Standing on the other side of a big ocean it is easy for me to talk about it too and say how experience proved the right perspective and gratitude made all the difference.

They did make a big difference and they are important to me but sometimes timing and presentation make the difference.

If someone is drowning it doesn’t do much good to compliment them on their shirt or hair. Doesn’t necessarily help to tell them what they could or ought to do either.

Sometimes the best you can do is take their hand and give a gentle squeeze.They didn’t get stupid over night, they just got turned around.

Been some kind of day and it might be time to have that celebratory drink– got to enjoy the fruits of our labors when we can.