Embracing the Fear of the Unknown

Early Reflections: Tuesday, September 17th

Yesterday, we missed the 6:09am bus by a mile (our high school aged daughter, if you are just catching up). Today, we missed it by a hair. We would call that progress....

I am not sure that she would. She was VERY concerned that she was screwing up my schedule...since after dropping her off I head into work, earlier than I normally do. The reality? Not that I want to do this every day....but I enjoy the ride to school with her and sometimes it turns into an insightful conversation. Today we talked about "fear of the unknown" and how sometimes you have to break up your routine to challenge it.

Sometimes it can be simple. We were out and about on Saturday and in trying to find directions to an international market, we discovered a "new" Japanese market a mile away. I say "new" because it has been there for 29 years. Walking in, one of the first things we found...a very specific Japanese apple juice that she fell in love with in Japan, that we have not been able to find in the states at all (yes, including Amazon). Tears.

Sometimes it can be unexpected. As part of my disrupted early morning routine, I sit in our third floor break room since the wifi connection is better, and in the last couple of days, I have had several impromptu conversations with folks that I may not typically see in a day. Some conversations just "hey!" and others catching up on a specific issue that replaced an email with a face-to-face conversation. Huh.

Sometimes in can be challenging. Like my wife embarking on a new career in real estate, pushing herself outside of her comfort zone while figuring out the balance of all of the advice that she has been given, and who her authentic self is. Getting out and meeting people, connecting, learning. Or Lily thinking about going to "Cultural Cafe" after school one day, on Spain, when she doesn't know anyone, but wanting to step outside of her comfort zone. These acts of bravery are inspiring, and while likely won't result in perfection, each are progress. Respect.

And the journey is really the fun part! Take the road less traveled today....see what pops up...and have a nice and fluffy day!

(you can follow me @rhoniball or connect with me at www.honiball.me)