Perspective

Do you ever just stop to look up at the sky. The vast expansion of the universe? I’m often reminded of “The Lion King” where Rafikki tells Simba his ancestors are in the sky looking over him. Our universe is vast and ever-changing, something thinkers of society always contemplate. It’s easy to look up and think we are alone in our journey, but looking up brings a different perspective to our journey.

In the Boy Scouts, we are taught to navigate by the sky. For centuries, and still today, sailors navigate by the sky. There is more to it than loneliness. Polaris, is a welcome sight too many a weary traveler, but yet change perspectives and it’s a gateway to loneliness. When one person may see sadness, one can see strength. That is the way of person. When we change our perspective, our end results change.

Thursday, 23 January: I did not feel well. I can remember that fully. My memory was lapsing and my body was about to give out. Other than that it was an ordinary day. All the words was just a simple card in my deck of life. If you would have told me then what would happen over the next few days, weeks, and even months, I would not believe you.

I still can’t believe it all thinking about it. In a matter of 3 days my life was turned upside down. The novel corona virus coming from Wuhan was ravaging China by storm. It was the silver bullet everybody dreaded but did not expect. I still remember the conversations back and forth between friends, family, coworkers- you name it.

Everything was a blur those few days. A blur of preparing to not leave my apartment for a week or two, a blur of should I stay or go, and finally a blur of preparing to go. Finally, after much debate, I decided I should leave but only for two weeks. At the end of two weeks we would be expected to be back at work. Now, wishful thinking.

The moments you never forget are the struggles. The day before my flight out, I thought everything was crashing down. I check my Delta information at 3:00pm and noticed one of my flights had been changed. It now had me flying out of Chengdu and missing my connection in Beijing. This unnerved me. With everything going on, I was afraid I might not make it out. After a long conversation and lots of stress, I had a flight out again. I would need to leave my apartment at 3:00am to be at the airport and be relaxed enough to make the flight. Last flight out of Chengdu I almost missed due to nobody’s fault but my own.

I made my flight and my consecutive flights. I was now back on US soil in Seattle. I don’t think I had a sight of relief, I still had over 24 hours of traveling to accomplish. To Detroit, then overnight in Detroit then to Memphis the next morning. I was looking forward to that hotel bed in Detroit. I was worn out and ready for a shower and could only think of that.

But back to perspective now. Life is full of journeys and they twist and turn and bring you closer to yourself. I had no idea I would be sitting in New Albany, Mississippi 10 weeks later looking at the sky and contemplating the thoughts of the great thinkers of bygone days. But sometimes plans change. Sometimes Ideas are renewed. Sometimes we must truly get lost to find ourselves. Sometimes we must change our perspective to see something completely new.

"All that is gold does not glitter,

Not all those who wander are lost;

The old that is strong does not wither,

Deep roots are not reached by the frost."-

J. R. R. Tolkien