We woke up yesterday in our comfortable, warm bed in Columbus, Ohio, and made our way to Destin, Florida. Normally a sunny vacation destination, this west coast Florida beach town that was hosting the Georgia Realtors Conference was right in the outer reaches of Hurricane Ida.
As our plane landed at VSP airport, we could see the dark clouds approaching and before we even made it to the gate, the torrential rains were pelting the tarmac. The twenty-five-minute trip to the airport was in a driving rainstorm and our thoughts of a relaxing “vacation” before Tuesday’s speaking sessions quickly evaporated.
After checking into the hotel, we visited the rooftop bar for something to do while we got our bearings for the resort and area. Our bartender, Nick, suggested a little spot that “mostly the locals visit.” After a ten-minute walk to the Marina Bar, we found the last two seats available at a small table near the bar and ordered a few beers and appetizer.
Minutes later, as the bar overflowed with waiting patrons, a couple grabbed a newly-opened spot near the bar and commented on my Florida Gator shirt. We quickly started chatting about college sports and parenting and it wasn’t long before Frank and Patti started teaching me an unexpected lesson on perspective.
Sometimes a change of perspective is all it takes to see the light
Dan Brown
Frank is a high school baseball coach. His wife, Patti, works for a television network in Louisiana. They overheard us talking about our son, Ryan’s college – Mississippi State. We quickly struck up a conversation about SEC sports and the beer selection at The Marina…in that order. (Frank has a great-nephew that played on Mississippi State’s National Championship baseball team this year.)
It turns out, Frank and Patti ended up in Destin because they had evacuated their home outside of New Orleans on Saturday morning at 4 am. They drove 4.5 hours to escape the potential damage and destruction of a hurricane that was over 30+ hours away, but having endured the damage and destruction of Hurricane Katrina some 16 years ago, they knew they had to find a safe place.
Listening to their stories of the last time a hurricane devastated their home (4′ of water and being away from home for 4+ months) and hearing them talk very calmy about what they might expect when they return later this week…or next week…or next month, really put some perspective on what “home” means.
Frank and Patti were in good spirits, knowing they made the smart decision to evacuate. Still, you could sense that between their fun stories about their current jobs as a high school baseball coach and working in the media world, there was some trepidation about what they might return to. Will their home be safe? Will their neighborhood be standing? Will their community be intact?
How Did You Sleep Last Night?
I’m just going to guess that most of you reading this right now woke up in a comfortable bed. Someplace you know intimately. You had your spouse, partner, kids, or pets with you. You knew the shower, you knew what was in the pantry for breakfast, and you knew what was on your schedule for the day. You had a closet full of clothes to choose from and you had nothing urgent on your “things to do” list other than figure out what was for dinner.
Frank and Patti will wake up tomorrow and hope they can communicate with one of their neighbors. Is their house flooded? Do they still have a roof? Can they get into their neighborhood? Should they start driving home or find another place to stay for a few more days?
Can you imagine?
Build relationships this week…but don’t ever take those relationships for granted.
Solve problems this week…but remember, some problems are much bigger than you are equipped to handle.
…and have fun this week. Plenty of people won’t get to do that this week…or next week…or maybe next month.
Keep things in perspective and take advantage of the opportunities that might arise this week. You never know who you might meet that gives you a much brighter outlook than you had before.