Lesson plans for life

The runners approached the starting line.

The morning air was cool, the sky clear, and the anticipation of the race hung in the air.

The starting gun sounded!

And they were off!

Within minutes, a small group of runners took the lead, setting a pace the others seemed unable to maintain.

One runner, already far behind, began to struggle.

His breathing became heavy. His legs grew tired. His muscles ached.

He looked ahead and could barely see the leaders.

Remember the days when we traveled with a road map?  (Many reading this story may be too young to have experienced road maps)

Before leaving on a trip, we would unfold a large paper map, identify our destination, highlight the roads we intended to travel, and hope we didn't make a wrong turn.

And, if we did make a wrong turn, we would pull over, unfold the map again, and figure out where we went wrong.  Sometimes, I would actually stop to ask someone.

Then came GPS (Global Positioning System).

Suddenly, we had a voice telling us where to turn, how far to travel, when to exit, and even when we would arrive at our destination.

What an incredible innovation!

But there was one problem.

Sometimes, GPS was wrong!

Every fall, nature puts on a spectacular show.

Summer's once-green leaves slowly transform into brilliant shades of red, orange, and yellow. The air cools, the days shorten, and the trees begin to shed their leaves in preparation for winter.

And yet, something remarkable happens.

We admire the beauty of the changing leaves. We travel hundreds of miles to witness their transformation. We take pictures, share them with friends, and marvel at nature's wonder.

We celebrate change in the trees.

But what about change in ourselves?

While queuing up to board JetBlue flight #2251 leaving Orlando for Boston on the morning of September 11th to attend a wedding, my thoughts about what I needed to get done on the flight to Boston and whether I would be upgraded were interrupted by the gate attendant asking for everyone’s attention.

“Oh no...please don’t let this be a ‘delay’ announcement. I really want to make it to the rehearsal dinner,” I said to myself.

“Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention, please. Thank you. 

I was checking out of a Publix grocery store. I looked at the cashier's nametag as she was scanning my BOGOs.

 "Thanks, Mary," I said cheerfully.

 She handed me my receipt, said I saved $25.56, and smiled.

 "You're welcome. But my name is actually Margaret."

 Oh No!

• I had read it wrong

• I was in a hurry

• I felt embarrassed