Generally speaking, my life has been a series of more or less random events that have led me to where I am. There have, however, been one or two moments that have been truly pivotal. The ones that interest me the most are the ones that could have been so innocuous, such a non-event at the time they happened. We're not talking about my hospitalization at seventeen, my father's death, my divorce or even moving to go to a private school at fifteen. Those were BIG. Those were supposed to be pivotal. The interesting ones are the little ones. The ones that could have just slipped by...but didn't for some reason.
Question ~ What little moment ended up changing the course of your life?
Pobble Answer ~ I was flipping through a catalogue one day because I was bored. It was for one of those shops that sells upscale yet kitschy stuff. There was a silver, rectangular paperweight etched with "What would you do if you knew you would not fail?" For the most part, I am not a fan of motivational sayings or affirmations. In my experience, they are used mostly for manipulation and to set unrealistic goals. This time, though, I remember thinking "Hm, that's kinda cool" before turning the page. Only it stayed with me. And stayed with me. What would I do if I knew I wouldn't fail? Well...I'd finish the book. I'd submit it. I'd take steps to becoming a real author, not just someone who wrote for herself and her friends. Finally, I realized, yeah. That's what I would do. It took a couple months to get everything in order yet eventually, I finished the book, I submitted the book, I took the steps to become a real author. Since then, the only paperweight I've found reads "What would you attempt if you knew you could not fail?" This doesn't have the same weight for me. We don't attempt when we have the knowledge we won't fail. We do. And I know, had this been the phrase on the first one I saw all those years ago, it wouldn't have changed my life. It would have just been another little thing in a catalogue. But it didn't. It read the way it read. And here we are. All because of some pretty kitschy paperweight.
Your answer...
Those are Pobble Thoughts. That and a buck fifty will get you coffee.
22 comments:
What little moment ended up changing the course of your life?
As soon as I got my drivers license I was driving myself to school every morning. On my morning commute to school, my junior year, I passed a man walking two greyhounds. Not every day, but a couple of times a week.
This spurred my curiosity and I got a book about the breed. After learning about them, I wanted one but my mom said, "No big dogs in the house." Six years went by where I didn't give it much thought. But when I moved out and discovered after six months that I did not like coming home to an empty lonely apartment, I adopted my first greyhound, Timber. Now I have three and they are a VERY important part of my life.
The moment that changed me and my life?
I stood up for myself. I refused to be the escape goat. I refused to back down. I stood there, on my own two feet, and felt my spinal chord grow and stiffen into something harder than the diamonds. From then on I realized the potential I had as a singular person who could be strong and not have to rely on others for support unless I truly needed or wished for it...I didn't have to run to someone with my tail between my legs...I had a voice and I could use it.
February 3, 1995. I was working on a paper for grad school. Actually, I was procrastinating. I was bored, so I decided to go into one of those "new" chat rooms on AOL for the first time ever. I went in and typed "hi." Someone responded by typing "hi." I married him 10 months and 6 days later.
Graziella ~ Interesting that it was originally because of a man walking his dogs. I guess I didn't realize Timber was your first!
Dreamer ~ That's great, honey. Although I will tell you, the time you stand on your feet and feel your spine strengthen counts as one of those BIG times, not one of the little. ;)
Jaded ~ Amazing how that happens, isn't it?
Pobble, you remember the day well. It was the day two of my best friends got married. I was ill with a stomach attack, you held me up. I went to the men's room, took care of it in a way I had never taken care of it before. At the time, it seemed like good luck that I was able to make myself feel better and actually enjoy that evening, dance with that girl, have one of the best times of my life. But that moment in that men's room changed my life. After that, the attack was no longer and issue. I no longer feared it. It meant relaxing when I went out. Enjoying my nights. And ultimately allowing me to meet Mrs. Pike. As you said, at the time it happened it seemed small but what I learned from being able to enjoy that night changed my life.
What little moment ended up changing the course of my life?
I was on an AOL message board about surviving child abuse and read a letter about a little girl named Sandi. I commented to the person who wrote the letter and she replied. Her reply filled me with awe and we began corresponding.
Three months later we learned we lived in the same city about 3 miles from one another. She is one of my very best friends to this day and held my hand through many, many gigantic life changes that came that year. Life changing for sure.
It was 1977 and was graduating from Cape Cod Com College (what fun we had) but my degree was in Liberal Arts. I had no job and no direction. I was reading the paper and turned to the want ads. I happened to open to the medical want ads and there were an abundance of X-Ray Technologist jobs. The next day I applied to the X-Ray Tech program, got accepted and here I am 25 years in the imaging field.
PS I happened to meet my husband in the same program…he was a second year and I was a first year. We got married two years after I graduated.
What a great question.
That really made me think...but I have an answer!
When I was 11 years old, I was at the local library in the summer.
There was another girl there, my age, whom I had never seen before (VERY small town). I asked her name, she replied "Spider". The next time I saw her was in school, when I saw her coming off the bus in the morning. I waited with her after school, for her bus to take her home; we've been inseperable since.
That tiny desicion has definately changed my life...and saved it more than a few times.
this is a great question and i had to think really hard about it and came up with 2.
the first would be when i was camping in williamsburg, va with my parents as a little kid and the campground was infested with mosquitos so we took a day trip into historic wburg. we just happened to pass by a play house that had a children's matinee of 2 gentlemen of verona. thus began my love of writing.
the other was getting a phone call from my mom when i was about 15 when she asked if i wanted an older sister... and the next thing i knew you were moving in with us and sharing a bedroom with me to go to your private school!
It felt little...and I didn't want to put another puppy story up...
But if you want a little moment, the day I picked up Alice from Austin. My fluffy adorable Welsh Cardigan Corgi that was black and white, lay in my arms the three hours from Austin to my house. I was in the back of the car while my parents drove and Alice and I just stared into each others eyes...completely and utterly bonding, in love, and faithful to the other...That's when I understood utter devotion and unending love from someone besides my parents. It made me feel as if I could do anything, which is still what I feel like when I look into her eyes.
Cam Pike ~ I do remember it well! Trying to make sure you didn't fall down the steps while navigating them in a full-length skirt and heels, myself. Of course, you were/are/always will be worth it! And while I had known that was a pivotal night, I hadn't known Exactly why. Nice to have the whole story. (And ttg you were able to meet and marry Mrs. Pike!)
Traci ~ How great that you ended up being so close!
Nancy ~ Funny how it works that way. You might have skipped the ad section that day. *shudder*
Tai ~ What a great moment. Reminds me of a time the house phone rang. (see the Lovely Cats' comment)
Lovely Cats ~ Such a simple question. Such a convoluted result. And I had no idea that was what got you into writing. Very Cool!
Dreamer ~ Ah, the power of puppy love (not meant AT ALL sarcastically; you know how I feel about *my* babies!)
That's a great story. I think you never really know where you'll find a phrase, saying, etc. that will stick with you, that is relevant and will help drive you forward into whatever pursuit matters to you.
I'll get back to you on my story as I can't think of one right now - not enough coffee I suppose.
Out of a life longer than many of your commentors, its hard to find that one little moment. But one possible was a conversation with my freshman year advisor as I began engineering school, who asked "Have you ever thought about (such and such) career?" My answer then was "No." Three years later I came back and asked "What was that you said?" And now decades later I find those conversations shaped my life.
While going to university, I lived in a house with three actors. One came home and said, "A friend of mine needs someone to play a part in a murder mystery tonight -- wanna come?" I wasn't an actor, but I decided, sure, why not? I can project my voice, I can remember lines, I can dress up as a merry widow. I wasn't an actor, but I could pretend I was.
The play was a success, and afterwards, I talked all night with my roommate's friend, who was one of the most handsome guys I'd ever laid eyes upon. And then we got married. And that was twelve happy, happy years ago. If I'd convinced myself that I couldn't act, that I wasn't a thespian like my roomies, then I'd never have met my husband and shared all these amazing adventures with him -- carpe diem!
$$ ~ I look forward to hearing your story ~ and I'm sure you have at least one!
Appsrus ~ Conversations with advisors do indeed shape us in ways we don't expect at the time, don't they?
Wolfgrrrl ~ YAY for living out of our comfort zones! (and yay for merry widows, too)
The little moment?
When I walked around Central Park, and saw what appeared to be a beautiful woman in a pin-striped suit with long black hair reading in the high branches of a tree, and decided to climb up and join her.
I can't think of any "little" moment more significant than that.
Cracker Lilo ~ What a delightful story. I had always wondered how it had happened. Ah, the "little" moments.
My parents were away and I brought a bunch of college friends home on break. We were drinking and having a good time. My older brother thought we were making too much noise, and said something like, "Don't think I won't beat you up like I used to when you were little."
He had been a wild child, and I calmly reminded him of all the sleepless nights I had as a kid because of his antics - plus the many other injustices he visited upon me. I then said, "Yes, you are still much bigger and stronger than me, and you can still probably beat the crap out of me. BUT, I've learned a thing or two. For instance: It only takes 14 pounds of pressure, straight down, to pull off your testicles like grapes. And it would be very easy for me to poke my thumb into your eye socket and gouge out your eyeball. Yes, you could still beat the holy crap out of me - but I think, in the end, you'd really be sorry that you did." He stared at me a full minute and then silently went to bed. Her never threatened me again. In that one moment, I learned to stand up for myself for the first time in my life.
D-Man ~ I'll say to you the same thing I said to Dreamer: that sounds like a BIG moment to me! Big or little, I'm glad it changed your life.
D-man, I had to do something like that with my kid brother, too, when he got very big and very aggressive all of a sudden. My sympathies.
Pobble, if you want to read more of the story, I posted it long before we started reading each others' blogs here. You'll see, it wasn't supposed to work! I'm still so glad I can climb trees, and not just because that's also how I escaped a gator who was chasing me once! :-)
Shortly after my divorce, I was sitting around an outdoor table with 5 new friends, when one of them said "let's all start blogs."
After living 9 years with a guy that not only had no interest in what I had to say, and who often said of my creative imaginings "sounds stupid to me," putting my thoughts out there for the whole world to read took all the courage I had, but I did it.
Some pretty darned nice things have happened since then, you know.
GNGirl ~ As wonderful as that little moment has been for you, we are the ones who are truly blessed by it.
Post a Comment