It’s my birthday. I am celebrating it by lying on a hard bench, my right foot elevated on the arm rest, watching jets fly overhead and hearing the echo of giants playing nearby.
That’s Giants. But not Jets. At least, not tonight.
The Sheraton in the Meadowlands would not be my first choice for a birthday destination. But I’m here, making my return to the business world and the world of busyness, after a two-week hiatus.
It’s funny how time is so mutable. Had the two weeks been vacation, they probably would have felt too short, like I had hardly been away. But they were far from fun. My wife had significant surgery. (She’s on the mend.) At the same time, I had an unfortunate arrival of a kidney stone. (I’m much better, too.) Soon after, I seriously sprained my ankle. (Hence the elevated foot.) And because of the hardship, the time span feels more like an eon, like I’m awakening from some Van Winkle slumber to find the world had moved on without me.
Difficulty can be isolating.
How strange it is to step outside of the flow of regular life. But being a bit removed gives a fresh vantage point. It’s a matter of perspective. When I teach watercolor to seventh graders in our town, I always make a point about how we all tend to set the “camera” at eye level when we draw or paint. It’s good to move that lens around – sweep it up above and look down from a bird’s eye view, or place it on the ground and get a worm’s view.
Given the choice, I’d rather be the bird. Been feeling a bit wormlike lately.
But earlier tonight, after a grueling drive in traffic, ankle aching, I met the team of co-workers I have collaborated with so many times. And though, over dinner, they talked about all the events they’ve been doing without me, I realized once again how intriguing and inviting is this work that I do. I can feel that eagerness beginning to spark inside of me.
So now, I lay on a bench, looking up. Watching the sky. Following the planes as they cross my line of vision. Thinking about how I’ll most likely be on one soon, looking down. Back into the flow of things.
And I’m thankful for the new outlook. Even if it had to come the hard way.
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