When Things Don't Go Quite So Smoothly...
When we hit the metal gate with two kayaks on the roof and listened to the screech of metal being ripped from the roof of my friends' car, I came to the conclusion that random events happen to everyone and not just me. What made it all the more bizarre was that she continued to drive forwards even though we were snagged. When it happened we were in mid-conversation so she just kept going. The thing is people's lives are complex and the most random things happen and it is how we react to them that certainly reveals where a person is in their lives. This little even happened because a group of us were going paddle-boarding and kayaking up a river. My friend and I would usually be on inflatable paddleboards that are stored in the car. It seemed that my friend actually forgot that she had kayaks on her roof and continued to drive when we came up against the barrier. That in itself is a little insight - continuing to drive even though you reach a barrier...
This last few weeks I have been writing a book about paddle-boarding and loving writing it because so many insights come from some of the situations I find myself in when floating on the sea. Take for example the other morning. I had been paddling for hours, completely relaxed and in gentle waves. I then glanced down to see the hugest jelly fish. It was beautiful. In response a jolt of adrenaline shot through me and I prepared to fight or flight. Of course when you go rigid on your board you then become unstable - somewhat like life. I quickly caught my reaction and was like hang on.. You have been paddling for two hours and not even thought about falling in and then one blooming big jelly fish and you become all wobbly - jellified actually. It then occurred to me that we all have incidents in life where surprise jelly fish turn up or there is a collision and in that moment how do we react? At first the jelly fish threw me into instincts and fear... That made me rigid and potentially would throw me in. Yet when I relaxed and rationalised I realised there was no need to fear. Can we apply this way of thinking to life?
So back to the kayak situation - the two kayaks flew backwards off the car and smashed on the ground. The roof-rack was ripped from the roof and smashed down too. So how do you think my friend reacted? She quickly climbed out of the car checked the kayaks were okay and shrugged. 'It's done now.' With that we got the tool box out, mended the roof rack, moved the kayaks and decided to paddle and have a lovely time. That one situation could have escalated into a tandrum-filled drama but it didn't because my friend was in a space where she was relaxed. So this has played on my mind today... It is quite a lovely thing to play on my mind - how we react and how we affect ourselves through those reactions. So say she had grown angry or frustrated then what would have happened? How would that have improved the situation. The situation happened and that was it, so what is it that in our inner worlds that makes a person launch into an absolute break-down when things don't go so smoothly. What if in those moments of fear, aggravation or anguish, we simply stopped and said - you know what it happened now. Let's do something to make it right and not carry the burden of the situation. What about if something rubbish happens you simply say it's done - let's still go and have a nice time.
The thing is that simple situation could have ruined everyone's paddling fun but it didn't we simply had a gorgeous time gliding up and down the river on kayaks and paddleboards. For me that is the joy of it... The beauty and pleasure of being on water, out in nature and with people who simply get on with it when things don't go so smoothly!
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