On Chilling Out

Over the past month or so, I've been noticing a slight change in my attitude that may or may not prove to be permanent. Since this blog is the closest thing I have to a diary, here seems like the logical place to reflect upon this development.

When Vicki and I joined a bunch of family members in Orillia last month for Beatlefest, it was - by our standards, anyway - a fairly loosely-organized event. I don't mean that in a bad way. It just wasn't what we're usually involved with, where the day is all planned out: be here at this time, then go do that for an hour, then be back here by such-and-such a time. Instead, it was almost entirely open-ended, with the only real commitments being the two sessions when great-nephew Hunter's band was playing. What I noticed, as the day progressed, was that Vicki was the one trying to introduce just a little order into the day. She wasn't doing it in a frantic or concerned manner - like I typically would - but just casually pointing out that we didn't really know where we were going or what we were going to do next. To which I replied, "That's OK. Today I'm just going with the flow." And it felt pretty good.

Since then, I've been trying to do more of that (stop laughing, Susan!!). To say that it doesn't come easily or naturally to me would be a huge understatement. But I'm still giving it a go. It definitely helps that many of the family members I've recently reunited with are wired that way. I think the real trick, though, lies in not caring as much (as I usually do) about things working out perfectly. I've always believed that if you plan carefully enough, you can pull almost anything off. And I still think that's true; but maybe I was applying it to too many aspects of my life. Catching a plane? Yep, that's still important enough to warrant careful consideration and organization. Going for a walk, or making a trip to the comic store, or getting together with someone for a coffee? Probably not worth sweating too much over, beyond the obvious point of not being rude by getting there super-late or standing them up. Even typing that, though, I have to admit, makes me wince a bit. So this is still very much a work in progress at the moment.

So, yeah. That's where I'm at.

Can't wait to hear from the peanut gallery on this particular post.....