My youngest son, Cort, didn’t enjoy his first airplane ride. He was four and from the moment we took off, he kept asking when we’d head home. I tried to stifle my disappointment. How could this boy not like flying? Among our sons, Cort is the most like me: acts like me, looks like me. When he was an infant, I’d carry him into a public place and strangers would stop us, all saying something similar to, “Are you sure you didn’t birth that boy?”
I didn’t realize the underlying cause of Cort’s attitude toward flying until one of my flying buddies, Ged, pointed out what I’d overlooked. Having a son the same age, Ged made a simple observation:
“Did you bring a booster seat so he could see out the window?”
Well… uh… no.
Sitting in the back of the plane, Cort couldn’t see anything but the inside. No wonder he wasn’t impressed, forced to look at my seat back only. He couldn’t see how high we flew, couldn’t take in the breathtaking sights that make flying worthwhile.
My friend’s observation that day was genius of the common sense variety that not only solved my dilemma, but also bestowed an insight on life in general. No wonder so many of us get discouraged with our place in this world sometimes. We concentrate on our immediate surroundings and lose sight of what’s beyond. We focus on the distractions, the bills, the lackluster reality that didn’t meet our Hollywood expectations, when instead we must discover what will boost us above the fray so we can see further.
I’ll tell you what boosts me: flying; my kids’ unadulterated laughter; how my wife and I dovetail our dreams together and encourage each other in their pursuit; the sign above my writing desk that reads, “Leap and the net will appear”; the friends whom I know will do anything for me; great books; amazing movies; and the list goes on. Each of these things gives me the boost I need to ensure I stay focused on that curved path of my dreams that extends toward the horizon. Whenever I mistakenly wander off on a detour, I can count on these life-giving pleasures to reorient me.
What boosts you? If you can’t rattle them off quickly, think about it, seek them out. Once you’ve identified them, always keep them within arm’s reach.
When I took the family on the next airplane ride, Cort sat tall on his booster seat. After takeoff, my wife watched him as he stared out the window. She and I are often caught off guard with the words that spill from his mouth. This is the same son who asked if there were any “go” signs in the world. After we’d leveled off in the plane at 4500 feet, my wife asked, “What do you think, Cort?”
He turned toward her, eyebrows arched high. “I can see so far,” he blurted. “I can almost see the whole world.”
Teresa, Glad it was timely.
Carol, Thanks for the compliment
Cedar51, Good luck with that degree. You’ll have it in no time.
Walker, Great to see you here and good to see you are writing so much
Chuck, Hope it helps your friend.
Melody, You’re welcome. Hope everything went well yesterday.
Bob, How could I have forgotten that one!
Oysters with friends.
It’s great how you shared the insight, asked the question, and also gave us a list of your own as a prompt.
As you suggested, I sat here and asked the question of myself. It’s trickier than I imagined, as this topic is "right up my alley." But I’m taking the question seriously and making my list. So far, my "what boosts you" answers seem to all revolve around learning, laughing, interactions with people I love and/or enjoy and/or respect, exploring, creating… Thank you as always!
Chris,
This is a real gem. I can think of real things and "people" I have introduced into my life that boosted me in my early life, then mid-life, and now my waning years, How it was always good to find something new to motivate me and give me incentive to set goals and go forward. There are still things that motivate me. I have had several things along the way that have come and gone, but there has always been something good to look forward to and wake up for in the morning that gives me purpose. I like setting small reachable goals throughout the week that may lead me to a larger fun-thing that brings me joy, or reward. As I think of young people who are just getting startied in life, this post would be excelent to help get them over a hurdle or around an obsticale and on, to a bright new horizon where they too, could almost see the whole world before them. Maybe even the birth of an entrepreneur. I will share your lessons with someone dear to me who is feeling a little discouraged about a new venture. I think he needs to look at the his goal through a wide-angle lens instead of a telephoto lens. If you know what I mean….
Great job Chris.
Thanks !
Chuck
Wonderful post with great insights, both about how we fail to see the ‘obvious’ stuff and how to value those things around us which can sometimes get lost. Thank you.
GOALs boost me
I’m on a GOal right now that in the beginning seemed quite doable in 3yrs – that was what the young ones do at University they take 3yrs of full time study (4 papers per Semester) to get a BA
Within a few weeks, I was on a 3/4 part time track – 3 papers per Semester – which means this is year 4.
I’m still going to be there for 1/2 of Year 5 because I have failed 2 papers and I have had to re-jig down to 1/2 time (2paper per Semester)
Only outside of Uni am I on a booster seat because at Uni I’m way out of age-league to the rest of the students. Most have only just reach the 2nd or 3rd decade whereas I’m a year shy of the 6th decade (started in my 5th decade)
As time has gone on I have some very young friends who will probably keep tabs on me forever and a day…as they each reach up to more and more goals etc.
I have officially 4 more papers to do (still waiting to hear about results on one from last Semester though) so will finish hopefully in mid 2011 and my GOAL of getting a degree will be done
At that point, I should have put in place the GOAL I need to continue on my life journey which is not about to end!
My first response was simply to say that "You boost me with your excellent Lessons from the Cockpit." However, I’d also like to respond to the message from Teresa Evangeline, "Out of the mouths of babes…come angel messages." As you know, an underlying premise of my novel, "Whispers from St. Mary’s Well," based on those New Age gurus Plato and Wordsworth, is that very young children retain memories of their prior spiritual state. Therefore, they can see departing souls, and they speak with words of wisdom. Although the novel, like all novels, is strictly fiction, all of the spiritual words and actions of children in my novel are all based upon things I’ve witnessed. Wisdom truly comes, "out of the mouths of babes," and all adults can learn from their children. It’s great to read about your children, Chris, and they’ve clearly inherited more than the eye can see from their wonderful parents.
Out of the mouths of babes…come angel messages. This is a very nice view of a relationship dilemma I was just working on resolving. Prayer answered. Thank you.
Thanks, Ed. Hope all is well in the center of the universe you call Cincy. 🙂
Another excellent read, Thanks Chris…