Guest Post- Surprises- Guest Post
Below is a little insight from another sandbox friend.
I have
always been a planner. But of course that comes with the territory, doesn’t it?
Teachers are planners. Most of us
love making plans, though admittedly at some times the time required to plan
seems to get in the way of what’s actually being planned. That’s irony, teacher style.
Now as I’m
getting older, I seem to be discovering another passion, the thrill of being
surprised! In fact I think it’s become
one of the great joys of life. As I
think back over the course of my life and career (they aren’t the same?), the
surprises that came to me seem much more interesting than those things that I
planned and expected.I came back
to the States from Kuwait in 2001 wanting to buy a house. And lo, 7 years later, I was returning to the
Middle East. As I was sitting at my desk
one day, out of the blue came a call from an old supervisor in Kuwait, “What
are you doing? Want a job?” And that’s how I continued the journey that
was to put me in Kuwait for a total of 7 years.
Hmmm… I was waiting
for a flight for Kuwait one day, looked up and noticed the Gate Number, 7. I got on the flight and, lo and behold, seat 7, row G, the 7th letter.
Hmmm…I got to
Kuwait and the 7’s were popping upeverywhere.
Now I’m not generally superstitious, but I began thinking maybe God was
trying to tell me something. I began
thinking back over things and I saw patterns of 7. Masters in 1991, flight to Kuwait in 1998. Graduate program in 2005. Return to the
States in 2012. Intervals of 7. Hmmm…
I am coming
to the point in life that I like surprises.
And this is how I look at this new opportunity in Abu Dhabi. Maybe I won’t see patterns of 7 when I get
there, but I just know that there are going to be many good and glorious
surprises. With a little willingness to
pay attention to people, I’m open and hopefully wide awake. Oh, God, don’t let me sweat the small stuff
and be aware of the wonderful surprises that are just around the corner.
Meanwhile, I
guess I’ll have to think about plans for this trip…are the suitcases
packed?
x
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