Tag: journey

On My Way!

Bailey GunnLeave a comment

As I was commuting to work on Friday, you know, taking my car to the train to the bus that gets me to work, I realized we’re always on our way somewhere.

We’re always on our way to finishing a movie or a book. Me personally, I’m always on my way to growing out my hair or losing weight. And everyone, everywhere, is on a road to a better them. Or just on a road, driving.

But I’m asking, why can’t we ever just be here? You have arrived at your destination. Why can’t we accept ourselves in the present tense?

So, I am asking you to forget all about your to-do list and your destinations. Consider the journey. And know that wherever you’re going, you’ll get there in time. As soon as you enjoy the ride.

 

Love,

Bailey

Things You Learn When You Spend All Day Traveling

Bailey GunnLeave a comment

Today, I was trapped in an airport for 6 hours while my plane got more and more delayed for hours upon hours. 

With nothing to do but alternate between listening to music, reading books, and eating burritos, I had a think about what is actually true about travel and why people always want to do it, when usually, the journey stinks and your destination is really where you want to be. 

What I found out: 

  1. I was not a bird in another life. I hate flying. I don’t want the wing beneath my wings; I want the ground beneath my feet. (I would make the worst Disney princess — I’m completely unadventurous.)
  2. A crappy situation can bring strangers together and can make you feel united. 
  3. Starting a conversation with a complete stranger is way easier than you think. (But don’t talk their ear off if they’re just trying to mind their own business.)
  4. Flight attendants are super cool about you throwing up in a bag. 
  5. And even sometimes, the passengers next to you are super cool about you throwing up in a bag, which I’m so grateful for. 
  6. TSA agents sometimes have a sense of humor. (You have to in that job, right? Corralling nervous fliers all day is tough!)
  7. Suitcases are wayyyy heavier than you thought they were when you packed them. 
  8. No matter how well you pack, I promise, you’ll forget something. 
  9. Hotels are magic. Period. The staff, the food, the rooms. All of it. I don’t care if it’s a Super 8. Someone is working their butt off for you to feel like you’re in a home away from home. 
  10. But, in the end, home is really the only place you want to be when traveling. 

And that’s it! Even though it was a super long day, I am happy to snuggle up and fall asleep, knowing full well that I don’t need to be on a plane tomorrow. Ahhhh. 

Still Processing 

Bailey GunnLeave a comment

How do you get from point A to point B?

Well, you plot a course, and after a right or left turn, you’re there. 

How do I do it? 

I stress and tear my hair out at the fact that I’m not at point B, and gee, point A is so far away, and what’s wrong with me that I haven’t gotten to point B yet?

Because I don’t process things. Or I don’t realize that there is a process to things. That I can’t show up and know everything in the universe. And for some reason that actually frustrates me. 

And call it what you will. Call me a millennial, and point out my obsession with instant gratification. (Ever since we invented solar powered calculators, it’s like we just expect the answers to be given to us.) But I’m still completely confounded by the journey. I don’t know that practice makes perfect because I stuck with everything that came to me naturally (reading, writing, dancing).

It’s just that I don’t remember the time when things were hard and I didn’t know how to do something until I learned. I just remember having learned it. 

So, I’m still processing things. And I’m trying not to beat myself up for not knowing things until I know them. Every journey starts with the first step, but I do wish I walked quicker. 

The Potential to Be

Bailey GunnLeave a comment

When you look at a tree, what do you see?

Yes, okay, smart guy. You see the bark. The leaves. The branches. Potentially the small creatures and birds that call it home, the ecosystem it contains. You might also see something that gives life to humans on Earth by producing oxygen. (If you want to get that scientific or poetic about plants.)

Now, imagine someone else is looking at that same tree. What may they see?

Maybe lots of books that could be made from the tree. Maybe a really nice mahogany table or cherry tree chair. Heck, they may even see toilet paper. At any rate, they are seeing the tree chopped down and then chopped up into smaller pieces. They see the tree as it could be, not as it is now.

So, who is right?

Both are correct. Simply because trees serve multiple purposes, living or dead. It simply comes down to what stage of the process the tree is in, and what potential can be seen in it at that time.

Now, erase the tree from your mind, and think about the last time that you faced rejection or pain due to the fact that you did not fit the mold. That you didn’t meet the expectations of others. That you didn’t fill a position or a void for someone. Of course this is hard to experience. But again, your perspective isn’t the only one to consider.

If you have experienced this feeling, it means that someone has looked at you during a different stage in the process. It means that someone has perceived you and thought “paper” instead of “ecosystem.” It wholly depends on what they are seeing, not on who you are.

My general point is that you can be more than one thing at a time. But if people aren’t able to see past something or aren’t able to see you, it’s due to how they are perceiving you at a current moment, not with how much potential you have. And that’s okay. A tree is not offended to be called paper. It is simply useful. A tree is not offended to be called a shelter for others. It is simply useful.

Remember that you are useful in whatever stage of the process (AKA life) that you are in, even if it is hard to see right now. There is as much potential in a seed as there is in a fully grown tree.