Finding Our Way
When I was growing up, I remember teasing my mother about how she only knew one way to get someplace. She knew one way to drive to the big regional shopping mall which was located about 30 minutes from our home. She always parked the car outside of the Carson Pirie Scott store, even if we were going to the Sears store on the other side of the mall. “If we’re going to Sears, why don’t you park the car by Sears?” I’d ask her. And she would answer that she had to park where she could see the purple water tower (the mall is located in Lombard, Illinois, known as “The Lilac Village” and boasts a water tower painted the color of lilacs), or else she’d get confused about which direction to go back home. My dad’s running joke was that if she drove around the block backwards, she’d be lost. As a result of my mom being directionally-challenged, once I started driving I determined that I wouldn’t be like her. I’d find alternate roads. I’d know more than one way to get places.
For the last several months, I’ve had a standing Tuesday night appointment in the east end of Louisville. Leaving downtown after work, I’d always take the Interstate and always be frustrated by the slow-moving traffic heading out of the city. Finally, I asked for help in finding an alternative route using the surface streets…amazing! The drive may not be as direct, but I keep moving and don’t get stuck in rush-hour traffic. As the weeks go by, I’ve tried to vary the route without getting lost, which sometimes works and sometimes doesn’t.
OK, you may be thinking, that’s a nice story, but what has it got to do with anything? Well, I’ll tell you. I think that a lot of times we can be like my mom in our problem solving efforts. We know what’s worked in the past and so we keep right on doing the same thing, afraid that if we do anything different we’ll lose our way. We keep driving down the Interstate because it’s familiar and a sure thing, even if it leaves us frustrated. What if we explored a different way? True, we might get a bit lost along the way but, if we ask for directions, we’ll eventually get to where we want to be. It might take us longer to arrive, but we’ll have learned something new and maybe even discover something really cool along the way. What do you think? Are you ready to try a new way?