Ordinary days are full of stories. Truth is, that's where the REAL stories of life are found....ordinary days.
I have had a really good week. A string of days with good things happening....simply. Friends keep asking me, "so what happened to make it such a good day?"
And the answer is nothing really....just everything.
It's been a long time coming for me....and I am wondering if this is a glimpse of what HAPPY feels like....
Early in the week two of my friends weighed in on my restlessness.
One is a fairly new friend....that wandered into my life accidently several months ago....& continues to surprise me when he says things so casually that tell me he really & truly "gets" me....
Yep. That's where the whole plate spinning dialogue started. He pointed out that plate spinning was somewhat of a lost art....and possibly a not-so-productive use of my time & talents.
Okay, that's not exactly what he said....he is actually very careful with his words....and I am learning that it's always worth the wait to hear what's on his mind.
And it was his comment about "breaking plates" that caused me to step back and look at things from a different perspective.
A few more walls came down....the door was opened a little wider....
And I was able to see the possibilities that have been unfolding all around me for quite some time...instead of the taunting empty poles waiting for plates to start spinning....
Later that same day I got to spend some time with a friend who has probably been a part of my life longer than anyone....except for my family.
Who am I kidding?!?! He IS family! He knows personally almost every skeleton in my closet....and he knows where most of the bodies are buried.
He met me accidently in a school hallway back in my "invisible" days of high school....I was certain that I was unnoticeable & insignificant....
Yet he recognized me instantly from a picture that his buddy had carried around in his wallet for close to two years of the "most beautiful girl in the world"...
He has been there for most every important moment....disappointment....setback..,.victory.... & accomplishment....since I was fifteen....and he has never, ever failed to make me feel special....worthy....significant....
(Of course, I don't believe anyone ever shows up in my life "accidently"....not a big believer in coincidences...ever.)
So on this day earlier in the week, we met to discuss possibilities & life. Much like the fine cigars he loves so much, he took his time....savoring the experience....& we talked about all of the nuances of spinning plates.
He is quite an accomplished plate spinner in his own right. Stories were swapped of very fine plates we had known along the way....nostalgic, it was....a little wistfulness was shared over the plates that shattered due to our lack of timing or imperfect technique at times....we laughed over the pieces we had picked up or left on the floor... along the way of our lifes...
Then he, too, cut to the chase. Because there is really no one who knows me better....my strengths....what motivates me...how I am wired....and where my uncertainties & hesitations come from at times....
Pick out a few plates, MJ, and focus on them. Plate spinning has become obsolete. Take a look at the patterns & choose a few that compliment each other....just like you do with your friends....and then set a nice table....leave the plate spinning to the young & inexperienced....that's what he said.
Okay, that isn't exactly what he said....but it's very close, I think. He really liked the plate spinning analogy...maybe because we have a long history of sharing plates & stories & life.
Between the two of them....the confidence & vision I had been seeking was uncovered....allowing me to shift gears....change my focus....see things that I was overlooking....to chart a course that will carry me forward to what's coming next.
Those things had been hiding underneath the table, I guess....waiting to see what I am going to do with the plates...this time...
Just ordinary conversations....on ordinary days....touching lives in extraordinary ways....
Life is good!
Wow! I am sorry that I missed reading this earlier. I know when your words are speaking to me when I feel a physical reaction. Sometimes laughing; sometimes with tears. This one hit my gut. You know, the place where I store all the feelings I don't want to feel. Now I have some puzzle pieces to work on but I am not ready to turn them over; not even the pieces that make up the borders. You were always so much braver than I, and I thank you for going in front of me when I am lost. I'm sorry to leave all the hard work up to you.
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