Now that we have all had a slight existential thought process for the day, what will you do with it!?
In line with the revelation that I have some of the funnest people in my life (world wide, not continent defined which makes things even more exciting) I have been reflecting on the things that are most valuable to my time allocation. It’s not surprising that time spent with people make the top of my list for things I find personally fulfilling. Beyond that I’ve realised that the people who let me hang out with them are up to incredibly fun things. How great that I get to be a part of that, and by extension reciprocate when I’m planning an adventure also!!
A lot of what I’ve been doing recently has been at the suggestion and organisation of my friend Meredith. Meredith is one of those people who is always up to something. If you speak with her after a weekend she has an itemised list of activities that were accomplished and ideas about what she will be up to in the weeks to come. We both come from a health background so it’s not unusual that we are both into being outside. What could be a lazy afternoon on the couch is transformed into a full outfit of wet weather gear to walk the dog amongst the rolling hills of the neighbourhood. It’s nothing to head out to Canmore and ride to Banff (40k return) for the afternoon, the whole time being appreciative of the surroundings and that this is in fact real life. That, or a slight variation of there of, is a regular Saturday activity.
The other end of being friends with someone like Meredith is that they politely ask you to volunteer your time to support their endeavours – which is actually not their endeavour, it’s supporting a community. The most recent one was volunteering over the course of the week for the Calgary Marathon. This is something I would see on the day of and think “I’d totally sign up to help out next year” and then never do it, despite being super appreciative of the volunteers who have been there for each of my runs. I gave up a total of 18 hours over 3 days to look up bib numbers, provide somewhat correct transit information and encourage nervous first time runners. Events like the Calgary Marathon (or Vancouver which now holds a specific spot in my heart) don’t happen without people stepping into a role where they give up their home time, their recreation time, their sleep time. Often this goes overlooked in the whirlwind of the day by the entrants, however being the person who helps nervous runners to successfully find safety pins is personally rewarding.
Friends like Meredith are hard to track down as they are usually within a flurry of activity and typically can’t stop for too long to chat. This is why you join them on bike rides, dog walks, overnight camping trips with 2000 cyclists who are raising money for Cancer research, throwing couches off balconies and into skip bins while cheering, yoga classes at 7am on a Saturday, Muay Thai classes in the middle of the day, spontaneous road trips to waterfalls and swimming holes, trips to IKEA for wedding decorations, wine tours in the Hunter Valley, runs through the city, wardrobe shopping at Walmart…. the list continues. It has been the attitude of “yes! I’d love to!” that has allowed me the fortune of participating in the adventures that make up my days and my lifetime thus far. Of course there are things that I invite people along to also, the reciprocal exchange of planning that occurs within a friendship. Maybe it’s the philosophy of ‘like attracts like’. Whatever it is, I’m appreciative of my invite, the chance to add to the dimensions of who I am within the world and meet some phenomenal people along the way.
With one last thought relative to time and relationships, recently I asked a few people if they could spare some smiles for my Mum who was in hospital for a week. In terms of family, ours is very fortunate to have a large support network consisting of both direct relations and friends who are considered to be family. How great it is to be on the other side of the world, knowing Mum is being checked in on by people who care about her (in addition to the Doctors and so forth). Plus, to have more friends go out of their way to ask if they can go along to say hi of their own volition. Talk about being grateful!! Actions like this occurring in Australia light me up over here and allow me to be in a mental space where I can make eye contact with the chick who is hitting the pavement on the same running loop as me and instigate a high-five as we battle past one another. If I notice the lady directing traffic at the rubbish dump (where we got to throw around heavy furniture and cheer) has gone to the effort of putting on beautiful eye make up for work under her sunglasses, I make sure I let her know it’s appreciated. How fun that I get to do that every day if I choose to?
In summary, I am very fortunate that I have the ability to recognise people and activities that are important to me (even if I am there via proxy), that I have the time to spend participating in them and the ability to appreciate it during and after. This is how I choose to spend my time and make up my journey. Looking forward to the next time our minutes intertwine!
Happy Wandering!
Hx