We Can Learn and Change
“Sometimes the most scenic roads in life
are the detours you didn’t mean to make.”
?
—?Angela N. Blount
?
This week I went on a road trip for work with a colleague with whom I value their talents, to visit a client whom we both cherish, for work that is rich with meaning and for me, located in a place I had never been. It was more than a Trifecta of value.
?
It would have required two plane segments and a rental car. Instead, my experienced road warrior, Jo Byrne of SeeYourWord.com took the wheel and piloted us safely to and from Iowa City, Iowa by car.
?
There was lots of time for talking and catching up. I had envisioned our stopping at a local diner each time we passed into a new state for a piece of pie. However, Jo wisely kept me on track both from a time and a calorie perspective. Thank you, Jo.
?
We stopped to see the largest truck stop in America on I 80 east of Iowa City. It was true Americana. It is now added to my backpack of life experiences.
?
As Jo drove and I observed, I witnessed a busy America as exemplified by the number of cars and trucks on the highways.
?
I could see that the season was starting to change by the colors in the fields and the fall sky. Everywhere was clean and calm.
领英推荐
?
America is expansive and the highways of my childhood are no longer lined with trash. We adopted new behaviors more than fifty years ago and they are still working?today. We can learn. We can change. We can adapt and work together towards a common goal. (And now we even sort our trash into bins that are allocated for recycling.)
?
This gives me a lot of confidence in our future.
? Have you made a car trip recently?
? What did you observe?
Not only did I get to go to a new place but I did it with an old friend for meaningful work. I was introduced to University of Iowa and the School of Public Health. Our client, Nichole Nidey, professor and researcher, convened a group of individuals who represent the whole system who can affect change for all Iowans. I learned the state's catch phrase, "Freedom to Flourish".
?
The entire journey was inspiring, refreshing, resetting, and a great way to reconnect to friends, my work, myself, and my nation.
? How are you feeling about the future?
Leslie
?
“Nothing adventured, nothing attained.”
?
— Peter McWilliams