08.27.08
The KickBoard of Life
Someone told me today that Michael Phelps had broken his wrist last year. Bad news. He thought he wouldn’t be able to compete in this year’s Olympic Games. But it turned out to be good news, because he could only use a kickboard. This kickboard exercise may have helped him improve his kick. Or given him something he may not have had if he hadn’t broken his wrist.
This reminds me of the method we follow when we add humor to our day. We take what seems bad at the moment, give it time to settle, and then we can laugh at it.
A terroristic car chase may not seem like good news. And, even though I have seen every episode of Starsky and Hutch, I was still surprised. Surprised that a truck pulling a trailer with a racecar on it could keep up with my Corolla. After a 10.1-mile chase through back country roads, we also surprised the oncoming Amish buggies. Maybe they had a comedy show somewhere, too.
Just like the show I had come from. Now, understand that this was not New York (city). Not even Pittsburgh. In fact, the theater director said we should have had the show in the next town, because there, “we have about 70 or 80 families who can just walk across the bridge and come to the show. Here we have 4.”
Now, maybe this racecar-towing-driver had lost his race and was venting anger randomly. (But judging by the speed he kept, he probably had won.) It was a harrowing few minutes–and that was just talking to the 911 operator and the police officer, both of whom had absolutely no advice for me. Finally, the race-car towing cretin turned right when I turned left.
So what could be possibly good about that scenario?
1. Maybe now I know what happens, what it feels like to be chased late at night on the road.
2. Now I will know better what to bring with me in the car–more ammo than I had at the time, which was a can of hornet spray.
3. Now I know there are Amish out on the roads at 11 pm, and what are THEY up to?
4. Now I am no longer afraid of, “What if someone would chase me when I’m driving?”
5. Now, after the dust settled–literally–I can see how absurd that must’ve seemed especially to the Amish buggies. A race–but the race car was on a trailer. And the Corolla was in the lead. And I don’t even have a NUMBER on the side of my car!
If we can separate ourselves–via time, emotion, reason–we CAN laugh at these formerly terrorizing moments in our lives. And then, finally, we can laugh at them.
Humor IS that kickboard for our lives. We can use it when we are weak, injured, hurt, sad, lonely, confused. We can let it build our muscles to the point where we are something, someone better than we were before.
“Get Your SHINE Together!”
