Monday, June 16, 2014

New Beginnings

“There is a number between the handlebars; remember which one is yours.” This was just one of the tips Captain Dave, our Segway tour guide gave us. Mine was number eight, the number of new beginnings. At that moment I knew that the team building outing would have significance for me on many levels. To begin with, I had never been on a Segway so, check, that was new. Nor had I been on a team building event with this group of colleagues before; check; new. But I was certain that there was much more to come. Like the song says “maybe God is trying to tell you something.” There was no maybe to it. I knew He was. And I was all ears.

There’s a method to using the Segway. It is battery powered and works on a principle of balance. You cannot ride it standing on one foot. But as long as both feet are on board you can crouch down and ride it or turn around and face backwards while it goes forward, like skating backwards. Either of those two maneuvers requires the skill of Captain Dave, but it was easy to see how it could be done if you honored the principle: both feet on board. Bend both knees at the same time to take a bump in the road. Lean slightly to make a right or left turn. Lean back to stop. And if you push Mr. Segway too close to his ten mile an hour limit, he’ll put a stop to your foolishness with his automatic braking system. After a fifteen minute training and practice session, off we went!

Let me interject here that being more artistic than athletic, had I organized the event it would have been a play, a concert or even a museum visit. And if, perchance, I had considered an outdoor activity it would have been a bus, boat or walking tour; a Segway would never have entered my mind.  The exhilaration I felt as we rode was, I’m sure, amplified by my low expectations. This was not my thing, you know? So how could it possibly be this good to me?

I mean, it was OMG good!

It was the perfect day: a bright June morning under the bluest of skies, low seventies, no humidity or wind. The deluxe tour covered the riverfront, lakefront and the majestic museum campus. Could it get any better? Umm humm.

As we rode through the city’s grand scenery with the Captain sharing Chicago history at strategic stops, the OMG in my spirit grew exponentially. It appeared with exclamation points, then in bold type, then italics and in 48, 64, and 72 fonts. It wasn’t just taking in the sites from the vantage point of the Segway that invoked the ever-increasing exclamation. It was the growing realization that I was receiving an answer to my prayer-question about how to finesse this new season of my life: listen to the Captain, keep both feet on the ‘ground’, lean into it and enjoy the ride…’cuz there is joy in the ride.

And when you get to the other side, to the destination – because there is a destination – you’ll bring your newness to the new thing and…

OMG!
Karen

2 comments:

  1. I love it! How true this definitely speaks to me right now! I'm learning to find joy where I am now!

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  2. "Listen to the Captain, keep both feet on the ground, lean into it and enjoy the ride...'cuz there is joy in the ride...." I want to write that 100 times, as teachers would have students do to try to drill a rule into their minds.
    Awesome!

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