Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Take any Train

On a recent business trip to Portland, Oregon I learned something new about myself, something that I never fully realized before.  It was while I was waiting for my train to go to work, standing obediently I watched for the Green Line that ran between my hotel and the office.  I had just missed the last one so I knew I needed to be patient and wait until the next one arrived.  As I watched the Red and Blue lines pass by it dawned on me, I see all of these trains at both of my stops so I could probably take any of them.  Not to mention, what was the worst thing that could happen if I took the wrong train - I could simply catch another and get anywhere I needed to be.

It occurred to me that this was a metaphor for how I have lived almost my entire life.  Not only do I follow the rules, but sometimes I take them so literally that I can't see other opportunities that may be passing me by.  Even though it surprised me, it was something I was sure my daughters knew very well about their mother.  I laughed and sent them both a message to tell them of my grand ephiphany! 

How wonderful it is that at 58 years of age I can learn something so profound about myself.  It is very freeing to realize that I can take any train and get to where I want to be.