The whole exercise left me a bit bewildered. It stuck with me for days.
What had I accomplished in 2012? I
talked to Heidi about it, and we were both left scratching our heads trying to
figure out this puzzle. What had we
accomplished in 2012? Geez. Day to day, minute to minute, our lives are so
busy and hectic as to not allow for time for reflection – to stand back, pause
and mull the “big picture.”
By conventional standards, one could surmise that we have not
accomplished much in 2012. We did not make a lot of money. We did not earn big
raises. We did not achieve a big bonus (or
a little one, for that matter). We did not win any professional accolades
or awards. We did not complete an Ironman Triathlon. We did not write or
publish a book. We did not buy a new car, nor move into a dream house. Heck, we
did not even refinance our mortgage (that’s
on the 2013 to-do list). For heaven’s sake, we did not even get new cell
phones! We did not cross something off our Bucket Lists. We did not even take
the time to create a Bucket List.
So, what is it that we accomplished in 2012? I have thought long and
hard about this, for close to a week. Here’s what I have come up with. It’s not
much, and it’s certainly not grandiose, but it will have to do. Here goes. We
did a seemingly infinite number of ordinary tasks, on a daily basis, to keep our
lives and the lives around us moving along with efficiency. That's it; nothing profound. Maybe it was
filling up a cooler with Gatorade for practice, or washing that Little League
uniform, bowling league shirt or track singlet, in time for the next game or
competition; perhaps it was getting a fresh hard roll every morning at the deli
so there would be a more satisfied kid at the lunch room, or picking up a
20-ounce Pepsi and a scratch-off lottery ticket to brighten Heidi’s mood;
playing a family game of Monopoly; a quick e-mail or text to an old friend. Little
tasks, every day: Listening intently. Working hard, praying for others and
continuing to smile. Adding a few more stickers to an already cluttered old car.
We did not move mountains, we did not even climb any big hills, but we tried to
keep the ball moving in the right direction.
If faced with the same vexing question around the holiday dinner table
in December of 2013, I may not have much more to add, but maybe I’ll be better
prepared to answer quickly and deflect the conversation away from me. Looking
ahead to 2013, there are no resolutions -- other than to keep up with the
ordinary tasks on a daily basis, in the hopes that those around us can create
and accomplish extraordinary things.
Happy New Year.
You did a really good job with your blog in 2012. I still really enjoy reading it, even though I have no connection to Marist whatsoever.
ReplyDeleteyeah, I agree with the blog thing. I love reading this and keeping up with Marist Running. I can add a few things to your list. You did not lose a job. You did not fall below the poverty line. You did not neglect your children. You did not neglect your team (present or past members). I think those things you did not do, are actually accomplishing a lot in these times of economic uncertainty. But then again moreso, you and Heidi have continued to touch my life, and I am sure you are enriching the lives of those around you, as you said, through the little things. Over the course of the year people like to reflect back and come up with milestones. But milestones are just that, a number. I love sports because, an athlete comes along who breaks the records that held for forever before he came along. And usually an announcer asks the guy about it and he says something like "I broke a record? Who knew." We like to measure greatness by how much money you make, or how many records you break, but it is far more important to improve the lives of those you interact with on a daily basis, and to that I say, keep up the good work Heidi and Pete - you both have that down pat.
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