I'm Wide Awake*

Today I have lived 14, 976 days and have been around the sun 41 times.  That is truly amazing.  But I'm also getting clear that it's not about quantity, it's about quality.

The other day I went zip lining (is that a new verb?) in Mariposa with friends.  We also did the high ropes course.  I love zipping through the trees and being able to look down at the same time feeling the wind like I'm flying.  I think I was a hawk in another life.

One staff member would help us get hooked onto the cable while another staff member would be at the end of the line to put on the "brakes" to help us stop.  There was only one time when I came to the end and I did not have a graceful landing.  It wasn't until later when I was reflecting on why my knuckles were scraped and bloody that I realized that I had closed on my eyes on that particular landing.  All other landings with eyes open were golden.

What a great lesson that is for me!  I get into trouble when I'm too scared to keep my eyes open and see what is right before me (a.k.a. denial).  But if I can keep my eyes open to what is going on (no matter how fast it might seem like life is coming towards me or how distrustful I am that *maybe* someone will be there to help me put on the brakes) it will always turn out better.

Here's to another 365 days of being wide awake -- eyes open to the adventure.

* Unless I note it, I will never remember that there's a pop song "Wide Awake" by Katy Perry that's popular on the radio right now.