Dear Tom,
For a day I will be back in Charlotte, sitting in a comfortable chair working on my laptop. Nellie, the cat, is in the window sill watching me catch up on emails and hopefully getting a few words written on the next book. They say, daily rituals or routines can be the knots we hold on to when we’ve run out of rope. And although I am feeling good about my life, it still feels good to rest in a regular routine at least until the next book tour trip starts, which for me starts tomorrow.
But comfort and my self-imposed isolation are not where the surprises are. They are not where hope resides. Hope shows up among the chaos and when new and different things are happening. My little Rebecca, age 3, wears a pink tutu over her pajamas and sleeps in a plastic tiara. Most people would say they don’t match and she can’t fall to sleep among the chaos they all create but she does. Similarly, we are at our best when we are exploring, dealing with chaos, and not bogged down in a routine. Aren’t we all a little jealous of the grasshopper in the story of the ant and the grasshopper? Aren’t we a little bit jealous of the joy Rebecca’s tutu brings her even if it doesn’t match her green pajamas?
So I need to celebrate the spontaneity and adventure leaving my cocoon offers. Emerson said, “people who wish to be settled: only as far as they are unsettled is there hope for them.” But sleeping in my own bed does have a few advantages.
My best, dear friend. Webb
Webb,
I really related to this posting, and find that routine and comfortable familiarity have become more attractive as I’ve aged. But you help me recall a message our teachers tried to impart: that our comfort zones can lull us to sleep! It is when we take a risk, taking us out of our comfort zone, that new ideas and creativity are enabled. Our 13 year-old granddaughter, Dylan, stayed with us recently and participated in a volleyball camp that we had enrolled her in. Her first day found her in the medium level group. Casey watched and told her “you really need to be in the advanced group.” Dylan pushed back, but came around. The next day and for the rest of the camp, she absolutely blossomed, learning skills that will serve her not only in next season’s competitions but also more broadly by showing her what she can achieve by taking risks.
Tom