A Lesson in Perspective

(Mondays are Lynn Miles Peisker days at The Daily Blur. Lynn’s the Executive Sister and Chief Plate Spinner at the Imagination Advisory Group. Check out her growing archive of posts here.)

A couple of weeks ago, my tire started losing air.  I drove it around for a while, asked my do-anything-for-me husband to fill it for me, filled it myself and then finally went to the tire shop.  There was a screw in it and they fixed it for $17.  But I carried on as if this was the most inconvenient thing that could happen to anyone ever.  I mean I had to drive to other side of town to get this fixed, and it took like at least 45 minutes.

Sheesh.

Fast forward to last Monday.  I was at The Daily Blur HQ for a week of fast forward work.  I mean we were going to kill it for three days.  Go hard in the paint.  Make our clients rejoice with our getting-stuff-done awesomeness.  Monday morning I opened my computer to find that  it had blown a gasket.  Suddenly the day became about a trip to see the Geniuses at Apple so off we went to St. Louis.   Again, you would have thought my valuable stock portfolio (c’mon, play along) had just plummeted like it was Black Monday.  Yes, I had some whine with my cheese, and plenty of it.

Two days later, I received a call from my BFF of awesomeness.  It started this way,

I’m okay, but…

She took an unexpected tumble to put it mildly and broke something she really needs to get around.  She had to have some unexpected surgery and recovery time.  My tire and computer were starting to come into perspective.  I made plans to drop everything go to her house and conduct Camp Rehab and take charge of getting her back on her feet.  I’m kinda important that way.

The next day that all changed when the phone message from my husband said, “Call me as soon as you can.”  It seems his beloved Dad had experienced a major medical catastrophe and he was rushing to the hospital.

That’s how fast it goes.

From a tire leak to life-or-death.

Are you ready?

I thought this post would be about margin and the built-in ability to handle whatever comes up.  But it’s not.

Its about perspective.  Eternal perspective.  Knowing what matters and what doesn’t.  Keeping that in front of us as we go through the days.

I’m keeping my tire screw in my pocket.  I want to remember that the little inconveniences of life are just that.

I am happy to say that my BFF of awesomeness has a life full of family and friends who love and support her and she is on the mend.  And I am overjoyed to say that although it is a long road ahead, my sweet father-in-law is taking baby steps in the right direction each day.

And I am guessing that both of them will rejoice when the day comes that they can take the car to the tire shop and enjoy the small inconveniences of life once again.  My hope is that you too will cast aside the everyday annoyances of life in favor of what lasts.