Day 112

Day 112: Real Time
Day 8: 21 Day Complaint Free Journey


I didn’t make it to the beach by dawn, which was my plan (and you know what they say about plans), but it was still early. Off I went, camera in hand, to get some photos to add to my collection.

Florida isn’t known for big surf, so those who enjoy that sort of thing have to take advantage whenever they can. These are the folks who venture out into the ocean when hurricanes brush by, duck diving into sheer walls of water to ride monsters back into shore. (My daughter is one of them.) A storm called Earl had passed near us early in the week, so they were hoping that he was still strong enough on the backside to offer more fun. It didn’t look like fun to me, but neither does “muddin’” and lots of people love that, too.

A number of years ago I drove the Pacific Coast Highway from Oakland to San Diego to attend a business meeting. The trip was magnificent. The Atlantic along Florida where I grew up is a meek cousin to the rawness of the California coastline, the ocean untamed with its rocky beaches and pounding surf. As I drove, it was necessary to keep an eye on my rear view mirror to make sure I wasn’t holding up traffic. After all, not everyone was from Florida, ogling the scenery. And it was when I looked behind me that I saw some of the most breathtaking sights.

I found myself pulling off the road to turn around and travel back the way I had just come….so I could see things from that perspective. Even though I had seen what I was seeing again, I hadn’t seen it quite that way at all.

Like so much in life that we complain about, wouldn’t you say? When someone really irritates me and I’m about to complain about them, I remember that trip. What is life looking like from this person’s shoes? I may never know, because very often we never share our personal horror with each other. Only the small frustrations, the things that we can gripe and grouse about with no real disclosure.

I nearly missed the meeting in San Diego.

Day 8.