Recycle your Possibilities! Driving along our favorite and irresistible highway–California’s Route 1 along the Pacific coast we passed a hiker bearing those words on a he-man backboard sign explaining in three simple words his purpose for trekking along this route. We drove past him climbing a steep uphill road. He was needless to say, walking slowly, reserving his strength and waving to passersby.
It makes you wonder about his story and choices in life, propelling him to devise a hike for all to witness. What conversations he must share when he has company trekking alongside or heads off road for a snack break, a meal, or night’s sleep in his sleeping bag and tent. What an adventure. But then again, isn’t that life? Seeking a new direction, healing, adventure, change, choice, struggle, hopefully with the support of others who care.
An oft recited cliche states that people typically make an average of seven career changes in a lifetime. That was said well before the electronic age now providing finger-tip opportunities for research, outreach and choices. I have had the experience of making choices and investigating new opportunities, but never imagined them in terms of recycling. For me, the first thoughts that come to mind when I seeing the word recycling are the obvious matters of dealing with material goods; discardables, electronics and the like. But the concept of recycling possibilities raises a whole new connection beyond the stuff we acquire. It is the stuff of life that matters the most, our emotional and intellectual well being. When I think of the hiker’s terminology, Recycling Your Possibilites, I play the Alphabet Soup game, turning it into RYP or ripe. Ripe for new direction and fresh thinking.
I recall grabbing all of my strength and resources to cope with family members or friends behaviors in directions away from expectations, accepting the loss of dear friends at young ages, their divorces, and other happenstance that came their way, What difficulty I had coping with the loss of my father at the young age of 71, my mother’s sudden onset of cancer. Spiritual healing often became a big issue. I remain in constant need to rethink my expectations and goals and learn to understand and accept who I am and to try to “be there” for others who need support and understanding. I am sure I am not alone in this quest.
This is another chance for interaction with my readers. I have in the past asked you to share book titles you have enjoyed, share photographs or other ideas. I seek feedback on what RYP recalls to your minds, to share your interpretation of the three words. Meanwhile, I hope this has been a pathway to food for thought, a chance sighting of a hiker with a purpose and has spurred thoughts for you to recall and to share.
I think you would enjoy reading a little magazine called Guideposts: True stories of hope and inspiration. Or if you don't want to kill more trees, go to guideposts.org. I haven't been to it yet (it is a newly launched site that they say is more than a magazine site.) I've been reading the paper copy since it started back in the 1950s by Norman Vincent Peale, not just a Christian publication though.
Hugs, Dotti
I think you would enjoy reading a little magazine called Guideposts: True stories of hope and inspiration. Or if you don't want to kill more trees, go to guideposts.org. I haven't been to it yet (it is a newly launched site that they say is more than a magazine site.) I've been reading the paper copy since it started back in the 1950s by Norman Vincent Peale, not just a Christian publication though.
Hugs, Dotti