Every so often, I think life has a way of tugging at your sleeve to get your attention when you’re not being your “smartest self”. It’s true, it happens to all of us from time to time. We work harder and longer than we should. We keep going when we know we should take a break. We take risks and overdo it, as we rush to finish a job. Then, one day, out of the blue, you get that little tug at your sleeve that says your “smartest self” wants to have a quick meeting with your old, careless self and by the way, it’s urgent! As a matter of fact, it’s more like the whole jacket being torn off than just a little tug on one sleeve. This meeting can take place in a variety of places like a doctor’s office or the Hospital Emergency Room, and the subject of the meeting is usually something like this; “Listen, you are not Superman, and Newsflash, you never were! You were designed and manufactured with equipment specified for a certain purpose over a certain long period of time, and it appears that you have exceeded the limits and capabilities that are stated in your owner/operator manual. In other words, you, my friend, are now being reclassified.” This can be quite a stunning revelation when you finally take it all in and accept your new category in life. Actually, it’s not that big a deal. It’s just one more stage we all go through, kinda like moving from Panera Bread to Cracker Barrel. You just roll with it.
From now on, you have a new manual to carry around in your head. This new manual has a catchy title. It’s called Common Sense, and it includes a questionnaire that will assist you as you move into your new classification of responsibility in today’s world. The first question in Common Sense asks if you will consider accepting any positions that involve any responsibility, obligation or authority. If the answer is NO, you are instructed to ignore the next 75 questions. Need I say more? Thank you for completing the questionnaire.
The twists, turns, and detours of this journey we are all traveling do not diminish as we roll along, but lately, I have adopted a slower approach to the road ahead and the surprises that invariably pop up. It is much more enjoyable to focus instead on life’s peaceful scenery drifting by. For example, as part of my own reclassification, I have thoroughly enjoyed being smack dab in the middle of all the Christmas preparations at my house while successfully avoiding any and all decisions and directions associated with the countdown to the 25th. Even though I’m not exactly sure yet what my new reclassified status is, I sure wish I had gotten it years ago. I always thought Panera Bread was a little overrated anyway.
