Opportunity

My Saturday was filled with another journey, a new change of perspective on the path to that “fulfillment” we all talk about but rarely truly actualize. It’s the pursuit of happiness, of that sacred medium that fills your cup to overflowing, that we’re after. Sometimes, it’s found in the simplest things: a cup of coffee or a subway station platform. Other times, it’s found within the collection of random strangers gathered at a no-name airport far up in Vermont, capturing the eclipse together. I’ll have stories for you, but we’ll save that for when I get home.

It’s human nature to question and query. It’s human nature to stand at the edge of a platform and listen to the sound of an incoming train, feeling the pressure differential change as it pushes through the boundary of air covering the end of each tunnel. It’s where we understand and appreciate the marvels of human ingenuity, the ability to travel in large herds of people across short distances at rapid speed. It’s brilliant when you stop to think about it.

And yet, there’s something obscene about the grinding of mechanical gears, the shriek of steel against steel, and the distorted voices through grime-covered speakers in tunnels far below the concrete jungle above. It’s a brutalist understanding of how the Industrial Revolution has changed our society, often worse, during our solar revolutions. Such is life, however.

I was in Boston to meet with someone who perhaps holds the key to an opportunity. She has an impressive resume, full of board memberships, marketing pedigree, and calculated risks with significant rewards. Understanding her story and how I may or may not end up a part of it is part of the gamble, the delicate dance to take to figure out purpose and place. It’s sometimes challenging to operate under “what ifs” and understand that all the world’s promises can still come to nought in the end. There but for the grace of God go I.

I left impressed, not only with her honesty but also with her willingness to understand the crossroads I’ve found myself in and directly placed myself in. I noted that most circumstances are self-inflicted (in the best possible way), as Emma is as inextricable from me as my next breath. The ocean between us on most days only serves to provide the conduit for communication above all else, but I still have to see her. There’s still the need for the kinesthetic, the touch, the emotion, the proximity beyond what FaceTime or MarcoPolo can offer. So, for someone to acknowledge and propose a solution that would mesh my need for family and connection with potential opportunity? Bonus.

I won’t belabour this story much longer. After all, there’s a solar eclipse to shoot and a crazy set of calculations, moments, and means to understand in light of my camera. There are additional stories to listen to, conversations to have, and things to learn in situ here in the wilds of Vermont. But if I can leave you with one thing, I’d like to suggest this: wherever you are, wherever you manage to roam, some people add value to your story, to the precious seconds ticking down in the life you’re given. Pay attention to them, like the person standing at the subway platform’s edge, listening, waiting, and watching for their train to arrive.

May it ever be so.