Gratitude notes for February 2020
Today was one of those days that made me feel so full that I don’t want to
forget it. It was so full of people who I enjoy and value. Some people I met for
the first time. Others I reconnected with after a period of being away from one
another. All day was like this. I’m so lucky to have people who choose to
include me in their lives.
Somebody today told me that they “collect managers”, which means that once
they’re her managers, they’re always her managers. I thought that was really
sweet. It says that they have an important role in her life. And “collecting”
implies that she’ll carry them with her wherever she goes. I like that. That
inspires me. I bet that by seeing relationships that way, she helps create the
kinds of relationships that are worth keeping. I’m really glad I got to witness
her saying that today.
I’ve probably mentioned this before, but I love chasing bikes at the beach.
I don’t even think about it. When I’m sorta stuck behind a group of tourists and
some local comes whizzing around us on the bike path, I sail in that person’s
wake. I’ll basically be running well above my regular pace for a quarter mile
behind the biker.
In my head, I’m in a completely different universe. I’m not a smiling, sweaty
guy at the beach; I’m the main character in Skyrim in pursuit of a dragon. I’m
a spaceship following an alien into a wormhole. I’m a racecar traveling at the
speed of highway traffic. It’s exhilerating. In a sense, I’m not even thinking
about the biker anymore. They’re just the trigger to my other-worldly
experience.
Then a quarter mile is up, and I become acutely aware that the biker might be
feeling chased at this point. I’m suddenly ejected from my imagination and
thrown right back to the bike path. It’s good timing too, because my body has
just about exhausted its ability to keep me moving fast enough to be immersed in
whatever fantasy I’m living in. I feel good though, and I’m able to casually
take in my actual surroundings.
Today was particularly packed because it was one of those freakishly hot days in
the middle of winter. Shadows were long, but the sun was out and people were
hanging out in swimwear. That’s when the cityscape feels alive. People are just
happy to be there.