Highway 61
The realization of how one seemingly small decision can completely change who you become...
One of my very favorite roads to bike (pedal not power), is highway 61 in Northern Minnesota.
Not only do I have many clients along that passage but it also winds its way along the breathtaking north shore of Lake Superior. Old 61 is a 20 mile stretch that most people speedily ignore since it takes longer than the new road that was put in several years ago. However, on a bike it is pure magic as it rolls along the lakeshore with a couple of small rest areas to pause and savor the views. On a calm day, the breeze drifts across the water and keeps you cool as you ride along though the swaying pines.
"You could say its my happy place-or better yet where I find my peace."
One day last summer I was riding that very route when I spotted a homeless man ambling along on the far side of the road. He looked content enough although his clothes were worn and tattered, his beard scraggly and long, and his shoes kept together with duct tape.
He waved hello and smiled, I waved back, and continued on my journey.
This brief interaction caused me to think about how circumstance, chance and opportunity can lead to such different paths. I wondered about all the decisions that had brought me to this point. Many of those out of my control.
How much of my life was pure happenstance? How easily could I have been a scraggly bearded homeless man?
So what does all this mean? I wish I had the answers! So many things are out of our control in our daily life. We have to do the best with what we have and work towards the goals that we have set before us. As Mark Twain once said..”the smallest deed is better than the grandest intention.” Many small steps lead to great things.
I decided from that day forward that I would be purposeful in my actions, take steps daily to make my dreams a reality, and forgive myself for my many mistakes. I sometimes wonder if that homeless man knows how much he influenced my life in just a few blinks of an eye. We all have the power within ourselves to do the same for those around us.
Life is fleeting, unpredictable and can be overwhelmingly difficult, but how we choose to react can make all the difference.
