Getting Lost (Literally and Figuratively)
A few weeks ago, my car fell victim to the gaping wounds winter left on local roads. Without any warning, I plunged into a pothole at about 50 mph. I immediately lost 20 pounds of pressure from my tire, made my way carefully to the closest parking lot and waited for help. That experience is fodder for a different post, but it all means that I was out in the wilds of the northern suburbs today to pick up my repaired car and, as is my wont, I got lost. Missed a simple turn, ended up on a road that had no place to safely pull over so I could consult my phone for help. When I finally found a gas station, I was a few townships north of where I needed to be. Sigh.
Luckily I have a sense of humor, but it made me think about getting lost in more than one way. When you've been part of a pair for a long time, the "you" you used to be gets a bit lost. So when that pairing ends, finding the "you" you once were is a process. (I think for some people it's not. They're always the same, or lack the self-awareness or maturity to think much about it.) It took me a long time to find the old me again. And I'm pretty comfortable — most of the time — with the me I am.
Once in a while, though, I get a bit thrown. I think about the role I played in the pair and how easily someone else moved in to play it. The shoes I wore and how someone new steps into them. Pick a metaphor; they all all work. I'm replaceable. That's a hard fact to wrap your brain around. We all like to think we're unique — and technically we are. Everyone has different combinations of talents, intelligence and interests that make us who we are. But once in a while the universe steps in to brutally remind us that, frankly, we ain't that special.
Maybe I drove too much, or three consecutive sunny days have messed with my brain. But I felt a little lost in more ways than one as I left the car repair place. The good thing is I found my way home.
I always do.
Luckily I have a sense of humor, but it made me think about getting lost in more than one way. When you've been part of a pair for a long time, the "you" you used to be gets a bit lost. So when that pairing ends, finding the "you" you once were is a process. (I think for some people it's not. They're always the same, or lack the self-awareness or maturity to think much about it.) It took me a long time to find the old me again. And I'm pretty comfortable — most of the time — with the me I am.
Once in a while, though, I get a bit thrown. I think about the role I played in the pair and how easily someone else moved in to play it. The shoes I wore and how someone new steps into them. Pick a metaphor; they all all work. I'm replaceable. That's a hard fact to wrap your brain around. We all like to think we're unique — and technically we are. Everyone has different combinations of talents, intelligence and interests that make us who we are. But once in a while the universe steps in to brutally remind us that, frankly, we ain't that special.
Maybe I drove too much, or three consecutive sunny days have messed with my brain. But I felt a little lost in more ways than one as I left the car repair place. The good thing is I found my way home.
I always do.
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