Tragedy on the Bricks

You know it is not often that we truly have one of those moments that really stand out…. the moment in time that separates one from the crowd. It has taken me 58 years, but my time finally came last week. Yep, I ran over my own laptop with my own car. I know, what can I say… there are few people that can pull off that kind of event and still remain composed enough to tell of that memorable if not horrific tragedy on the bricks in Nebraska….

It seems like only yesterday that I and my best friend, my laptop, were laughing through the universe of cyberspace together. My fingers were so alive that day, they were literally dancing on the keyboard and my little guy was supertop that day… he was faster than ever and outgiging even the most modern of computers. It was as if we were one. It was one of those days where my joy knew no bounds as when one believes for the first time, they are truly deeply in love and have actually met the person of their dreams. It was that kind of day.

But as in all things, coffee shops close and it was time to pack it up and go home. We had a few giggles before leaving and out we went to the car where I sat my best friend down next as I opened the door and took off my jacket as it was warmer in the late afternoon sun. There was a slight breeze, the kind that smells of autumn but has a hint of danger as if some great change was impending. I happily got into the car, turned on the radio, and… then it happened. I will never forget that sound of that soft “thump” and I’ll swear to you there was a muffled cry of terror and pain. And the change that was in the breeze became an explosion of shattering glass and megabits of information hanging on for dear life with only the padding of the case and a prayer keeping the semblance of life clinging within my laptop… my friend.

But this story has a good ending for I came to find out that my best friend, my laptop, has courage, and heart, and a fierce passion for life… and he hung on through CPR, energy transfusions, and surgery… and he survived and is almost as good as new. And I am glad he has forgiven me and we are still best of friends.

And now you may be waiting for the leadership lesson in all of this… that special something that all people seem to “get” while in the midst of tragedy. I’m not sure I have anything, yet I do want to tell you what my reaction was when I knew what I had just done. I laughed. I couldn’t believe that I was laughing and the more I thought about what I had actually done, the funnier it got! And then it came to me… as in all things in every moment we have a choice. WE get to choose how we feel and we get to choose how we wish to respond. I chose not to be mad, but to remain joyful. I chose not to be worried about what would happen choosing instead to just respond and do the next step to assess the damage and to repair if feasible. I chose not to get down on myself, angry, or frustrated and instead chose to be calm and to be in the moment and to find the joy even if the circumstances were a bit “unusual”. And there was my lesson… that we are always at choice in each and every moment and we get to choose how we wish to see the world. WE get to choose the perception of reality that will serve us the most. The power to “be” whatever we wish is within us and knowing that makes each of us very powerful indeed.

Tagged as: authentic, choice, leader, leadership, quantum, reality