The Delightful Story of the Glasses & The Ocean

As the wave crests, I have just enough time to think ‘I should probably hold on to my glasse–’ before it crashes over me.

I hold my breath and pop to the surface. My hands immediately go to my face, feeling for my glasses. They are, of course, gone. Claimed by the ocean.

‘My glasses are gone,’ I say, my mind immediately going into scenario planning mode.

My friends, social change leaders from around the world, immediately, and very sweetly, spring into action. They dive beneath the surface looking for the glasses. They paddle around and look out at the waves hoping to catch a glimpse of the lenses in the setting sun.

‘They’re gone,’ I say.

‘Well, you have spares, right?’ someone asks.

‘Nope.’

I make my way, blurrily, back to my room. Hoping that I have an old pair of contacts in my bag and coming up with five back up plans in case I don’t.

This is fine.

It’s the first day of Opportunity Collaboration, an annual gathering of social change leaders, philanthropists, capacity builders and other amazing people.

A group of us who met at the 2022 convening had gathered in the ocean to reunite, catch up, and reestablish connections that had been maintained, even deepened, via Zoom and phone calls. It was great to see them in person.

Until the ocean stole my glasses away and transformed my friends into speaking blurs who only came into focus when they came within about 2 feet of me.

Later, I found out that they were a bit shaken when I emerged from the wave with no glasses. Not because of the glasses, but because I have a reputation as always having a plan B. Of being fairly unflappable and grounded.

I was flapped. A couple of them made it their (misguided) mission to find my glasses, spending many minutes combing the ocean floor.

Ultimately, I did have contact lenses and, with a quick call to a local pharmacy, was able to get lens solution and reading glasses.

Problem solved.

The next morning, I meet my friend Priti for a walk along the beach at 6:30 AM. I share about the loss of my glasses and then, just because we’re there, decide to speak to the ocean for a few moments.

Greeting the world–the trees, the sky, the Earth, anything that happens to be nearby–is a practice I’ve followed for a couple of years. So it doesn’t feel weird to wade a bit into the water and say:

Good morning, Ocean. You’re very beautiful and strong. Thank you so much for everything you do and all of the life you support. You’re very powerful and mysterious and I appreciate you so much. If it would be delightful for you to return my glasses, that would be amazing and pretty magical. Thank you!

I smile. It feels nice to talk to the Ocean. Waves crash.

Priti and I continue our walk and talk about fancy things like regenerative leadership, what it means to ‘lead’ in the time of AI, and the importance of deep connection. Soon we find ourselves at the end of the beach.?

Part of me hoped that my glasses would be there. They’re not. It’s a big Ocean. Maybe a myopic shark found them.

Then a wave comes in, gently burbling at our feet.

It recedes.

And there are my glasses, left in the sand.

I’m in mild shock. Priti springs into action, grabbing the glasses before the Ocean takes them back.

I take the glasses–they’re fine apart from a few scratches–and begin to laugh with absolute?

Wonder

and

Delight.

Later I found out that our entire 2022 crew had been praying, in their own way, for the return of the glasses.

Jailan sipped a tea blend my wife had made for her and asked the ocean to be gentle with us. . .and to return my glasses.

Zohra spoke with a Djinn, asking them to intervene on my behalf and find the glasses.

Lisa simply had a feeling they would be returned.

A bunch of really amazing people focused a bit of their energy on getting the glasses back into my hands.

The Story of the Glasses spread through the conference as if carried by the Ocean herself.

People I had never met spotted my nametag and said ‘You’re the glasses guy! Amazing!’

Every time I shared the story, folks smiled, reminded of all the magic that the world holds. And, perhaps, remembering the Knowing we carry as children that the ocean, the trees, the sky, the creatures of the world, have a consciousness. That we can speak to them and that they listen.

On the last day of the conference, the moderator of the peer Leadership Circle I’m part of asks us to write down one commitment we would make as we left the gathering.?

With the glasses on my face and the Ocean whispering in my heart, I write:

Work with the?

Magic of the world

More deeply and

Share the wonder of?

It openly and with

Great joy.

This being a business oriented site, I’m tempted to unpack this story. To distill it into ‘teachable moments’ and ‘actionable insights.’

I’ll resist the temptation. Because Stories can speak for themselves. I’ll end it with this:

At a social impact conference,

A guy lost his glasses to the sea.

The sea returned them.

It was delightful.