Give me the ups?

We've hear the quote ... Sooner or later, a man, if he is wise, discovers that life is a mixture of good days and bad, victory and defeat, give and take. He learns that it doesn't pay to be a sensisitive soul; that he should let some things go over his head like water off a ducks back. He learns that he who loses his temper usually loses. (anonymous)

Yet, knowing life is a series of ups and downs, I've always just wanted the "ups", but maybe I've been short sighted. This past week is a case in point. I needed to spend three days on a Washington DC trip. I was on a panel to advise grant money awards, but just so wished I could stay home and get ready for classes.

My first night at the Hilton (how I so love to be in a place where their job is to make me happy) I was watching a PBS broadcast on World War II. They chronicled the experience of a man who had spent eight years in a prisoner of war camp. He talked about walking for two days on a death march with no food and only a swallow of water (his tongue was so swollen, it wouldn't go back in his mouth), the pain of torture, having a rod shoved down his throat so he wouldn't scream. He talked about solitary confinement - that being the worst - and using the tap code through the walls to communicate with other prisoners.


They would spell out words and sentences by tapping on the wall. The coding was a five by five grid with all the letters except K. tap tap tap pause tap tap was "M". They taught the system to the new prisoners coming into the camp. To say this was difficult is quite an understatement, and punishment for communicating in any way whatsoever was brutal. Yet, they tapped. They might tap out GBY for "God Bless You". The communication literally saved their lives. What helped keep them sane was the ability to communicate. They needed to talk. They needed to be heard. They needed to feel connected, so they needn't feel alone.


At the end of the interview, they asked the man if he could remove his prisoner of war experience from his life - it just didn't happen - would he do it? Now obviously, that is a theoretical question as there is no way to remove it and no way to know what would have replaced it, but I thought his answer was interesting. He said, "No, for I learned so much about myself. I learned coping skills and what was important to me, what makes life worth living. It made me what I am today."


It really hit me as I had been wanting to "remove my trip to DC" from my life - just not have to go. Yet, I really had a great time in DC. I had seen the sights already and there was little time for sight seeing anyway. Yet it was a time for reflection - a time to refocus my attention and set goals. So here is what I decided I should do differently:

1. Deliberately attempt things that will stretch you - church calling, scripture reading, personal history writing, professional development. Unless you are failing a good share of the time, you are trying things that are just too easy.
2. Stretch your vocabulary. There are wonderful words out there that we never use. (People on the panel seemed to exhibit such a rich use of language.)
3. Technology is awesome - ipods, digital cameras, kindles, cellphones. Learn about iphone apps, Second Life, and other new developments. Don't be left in the dust.
4. Try to exceed my OWN expectations
5. Don't allow those I supervise to slide - they need to kick it up a notch.
6. Try some new recipes. I spent three days and spent $15 in food total (of course fruit and breads were available at the meetings). Mediterranean food is awesome. Pesto cavatappi at Noodles and Company was seriously good. I need to try to make it!