Moments — opportunities

I have always found a serenity with being in a church; a quiet that calms the soul. Why this is, I really don't know — it may be what a church represents, or the expectation that it's a place for quiet reflection, or maybe it's simply a symbol of something bigger than ourselves.

Recently I sat quietly on a back pew and supported a great friend (and his family) as they said goodbye to a mother, a wife, and a member of that very church. I was an observer of the human condition — the joy, the celebration, and of course the grief. It offered insight into a life lived, and an opportunity to ponder my own.

"You are born and you die, and everything is in-between". I heard someone say this once, and I could not help but reflect on the "everything in-between" as a woman sang Amazing Grace. 

Big and small, common and unique, easily attained and difficult — these are the types of opportunities that come our way each and every day, and make up our life; this is the "everything in-between" that he was talking about. As I left this borrowed sanctuary, I could not help but acknowledge that this life will not last forever, and that I should never shy away from any and all opportunities — no matter how unfamiliar and unlikely they may seem.

You never know where they will take you. And isn't that what life is all about?

iamgpe

The Golden Age... a result of this very moment.

"It never used to be like this", he said.

He then went on to say how he could remember what it used to be like and how it was much better... as well as other self aggrandizing perspectives of an age gone by. To be honest I started to tune him out (which I recognize was rude but I quickly got over it), and then I was reminded of a conversation that took place a number of years ago.

We were into the second year of a large and complicated merger that brought big step changes to the new organization... people, leadership, product offering and go to market strategy to name a few; the growing pains were challenging but we were heading in the right direction. I was talking to a senior leader who was lamenting that everyone was wrestling with the changes, the perceived problems, and how many were suggesting that everything before the merger was wonderful.

"Way back when, everything was great."

To that I said, "Everyone wants to think of it as the Golden Age when everything was perfect. Although, I can remember when there were really bad manufacturing problems, back orders, poorly launched products, and pricing that made it difficult to capture share." I went on to add, "People seem to conveniently forget the bad things and just want to remember the best of times"

To that he said, "I know"

We didn't fault anyone in our observation; it was more a commentary on the human condition and how it is just a byproduct of people managing though change. As I look back on the conversation and the situation (with fond memories I might add), I find myself considering something that had never occurred to me before. If by definition a Golden Age is a nicely edited retrospective of a time that offered peace, prosperity, happiness and where everything you did was at it's pinnacle, isn't is fair to say that creating a Golden Age is just an issue of time. 

I mean, given enough time, isn't this very moment part of some Golden Age yet to be defined? 

I should point out that "this very moment" I speak of only applies to a moment that is new or different, and not just an iteration of some bygone golden age moment; they need to be moments moving forward, not backwards. Moments building on moments; all colliding into one another until one day you find yourself looking back fondly.

The question that needs to be asked is, "Have you started building your new Golden Age?"

iamgpe

The metaphor that comes with driving a BRZ in a blizzard.

The distance between Toronto and Montreal is 543 Kilometres (337 miles).

A BRZ (Subbaru BRZ) is a 2-door fastback coupé. 

A blizzard is a a severe snowstorm with high winds and low visibility.

The plan was to drive from Toronto to Montreal for a meeting and visit friends, and although a bit of a drive, it is usually easy and scenic. I would leave Sunday morning and be back Tuesday night. On Saturday night it was pointed out to me that there was a big storm coming out of the west and there would be a fair bit of snow on the ground when it's all over. Toronto is notorious for the big storm that is about hit the city that never really materializes, so I said I would worry about it Sunday morning.

As I looked out my window the next day, big flakes filled the air and the sky looked like there was much more on the way. Checking the weather forecast it looked like there was a big storm heading east from the US Midwest and the front was just starting to hit the city; as I continued to understand the situation, it seemed that the storm was not going to start in Montreal until later in the day. Knowing this, I began to weigh my options. I could just cancel the trip "due to weather" and sit tight, although missing the meeting would push back some of the things I was doing and impact others. I also had to consider that my BRZ is a car build for dry roads, and although I had snow tires and extra weight in the trunk, it did not handle well in deep snow. As the clock ticked and the snow fell I decided I wouldn't cancel; if I could get ahead of the storm, I would get to Montreal before it did and all would be well. Besides, if it got really bad, I could always find a motel.

Time was now of the essence because for my plan to work I had to be faster than the storm.

As I made my way out of the city the roads became slippery, the snow was piling up, and I came across the odd car up against a guardrail. Making my way eastward visibility got better, the roads became clearer, and I was able increase my speed. I remember saying to myself, "I've gotten ahead of the storm".  

For about an hour this seemed to be the case and then one of two things happened; either the storm caught up with me or a second storm came in from the south. I suspect it was a combination of both and soon enough I found myself slowing to a crawl, snow piled up on the highway, and poor visibility was the best I could hope for. As I continued to make my way towards Montreal the volume of traffic would ebb and flow, and there were times I was by myself crawling along an empty highway. Once in a while I would come across a snowplow that helped clear the way and make the driving  a little better, and sometimes I would come across a car in the ditch. I would stop at the highway service centres along the way to stretch and I would meet other people who were making their way; when we spoke there were words of encourage and we always ended by saying, "Drive safely".

As I made my way, my resolve to make it to Montreal safe and sound hardened... honestly, I don't think I ever thought of pulling over and waiting the storm out. In the end it took me nine hours to get from Toronto to Montreal, and the last half hour was maybe the easiest and quickest.

That night Montreal got 29 Centimetres of snow (11 inches), but by then I was all settled in with a glass of wine and wonderful conversation.

Maybe I was ahead of the storm after all.

iamgpe.