I have learned a lesson this summer that I hope I don’t forget, and I should probably begin to apply it more generally as well.
For too long, I have missed out on opportunities while I wait for the right- … no, make that the perfect-moment. When I want to go on vacation, I wait until the last minute to see how the weather will be. When I decide to wake up and go out with my camera, I look at the forecast first. I won’t even watch a movie at home until I find 2+ consecutive hours to watch it. I wait until the time is right and hope the stars align and they rarely ever do.
This last month, though, the best moments have been imperfect. The trip to PA with Austin was forecast to have oppressive temperatures and we went anyway; we adapted and had a great time. The date that we went to Roseland was the coolest day (78-80 degrees) that we had experienced in 2 weeks; the lines were short, the water was warm, and everyone had fun. And we went to Enchanted Forest last week despite clouds and a 90% chance of storms; the cloud broke intermittently throughout the day and rains never came.
In each instance, I had every reason to change, cancel, or postpone plans, and in each instance I would have missed out on yet another opportunity to have a worthwhile experience and create a special memory.
There is a lesson in that. The challenge is to continue to apply that lesson with greater consistency throughout all aspects of my life.