Eight miles to the SE of Seattle you will find Mercer Island, at least I did this Sunday morning. I'm not even sure why I took I-90 that lead me straight into Mercer Island but it just felt right. The sun was just starting to peek out at me as I reached the Island located in Lake Washington. An Island whose population is slightly over 24,000, but tourist traffic could easily exceed that number on any given day.
I could tell as I drove into this community they took a lot of pride in the appearance of their Island. I could also detect a bit of loyalty to their local business's when I took note of a McDonald's that was located near a little off the beaten path shack that served breakfast specials all day long. While there were plenty of cars at the McDonald's, there was a line of people waiting to be seated at the local eatery. I choose to drive by both in hopes of finding a Starbucks that Seattle is so famous for. I was not disappointed less then 5 minutes later. I parked in their lot and bought a Caramel Macchiato.
I set out on foot for a nice touristy walk on an Island that made me feel welcomed as I strolled along my way. My intent this morning was to sneak off and clear my mind as I prepared myself for another day of mingling around a conference in hopes of getting one step closer to publishing my book. Gracie's and my book in fact. A fresh start and a new outlook to any day can so easily be obtained by venturing off into territory unknown. Looking for something but expecting nothing. Mercer Island proved to be that place for me today.
I'm not sure how other people work but when I set out to clear my mind I play little games with it, to distract it from life's hustle.
Today I set out to find the littlest tidbit of information out that anyone was willing to throw my way. I didn't care what it was, I didn't guess at what it could be, I didn't really think about anything more then how low on my list of interest could I go before some stranger offered it up to me. I would have to talk to a lot of different people, and fast, to sort through all the information they would be willing to share with me. I knew there would be plenty, as I have played this game with my mind several times. What I really enjoyed about this little self created game is that it offered me a look at life from a different angle. It often brought my mind to the phrase "don't sweat the little things". A reference to help us look at what truly is important in life and how we tend to let the little things that do not matter interfere with our ability to seek out the things in life that matter. The things we can control, the things we can change for the better. Yes, the little things in life that fall into our laps to help disguise the more important things that DO indeed matter.
During my walk around a very small portion of this Island I would run into several people on various occasions in their day that would provide my mind with the distractions I was looking for.
Mary. A woman probably in her 80's, weeding the flower beds that hung from the front window seals of her house. "Good morning ma'am, lovely flowers you have blooming there." I was sure I startled her, seeing a little jump in her before she turned toward me. "Thank you young man, it keeps me moving and it pretty ups our street." I visited with Mary for about 10 minutes after introducing myself to her. Short and sweet, keeping the focus on Mary, she offered me a tidbit. A starting point to my game. "A lovely little Island you have here." Mary responded, "Yes it is she offered. There was a time when you had to row your boat across the waters to shop for your fresh fruit. Now we have so many fruit stands around we barely have to leave our front yards to enjoy the states fruits." Note to self: buy some Rainier Cherries.
Tom. A man I guessed in his 50's, mowing a fine yard of grass that he obviously took pride in. "My dad would die for a lawn that plush and green," I offered him. "I have three sons, you would think they would stop by and help their old man mow. I'm probably better off doing it myself anyway, I know what it takes to look this way." "You have a nice day Sir," as I took a mental note to be sure to help my dad with our lawn back in Boston now and then.
Jamie and Tuffy: A little girl I guessed to be about ten and her bulldog Tuffy, who I guessed could rip my head off if I bent down to pat 'it' on the head. As I walked toward them, and them towards me, I smiled. "Hi Sir, are you having a good day?" I smiled back, a bit of fear in it wondering just when that bulldog was going to leap at my face. "Having a great walk, thank you. You are up early this morning." Jamie pointed to her dog "Tuffy woke me up for a walk. I brought him out to shut him up." I told her that was nice of her to look after Tuffy and I am sure her parents and Tuffy appreciate that. "Oh I don't do it because I want to Sir, I do it because I have to."
I walked until I reached a corner with a mom and pop shop on it. I went in and bought a pack of gum, a water, and of course, a Babe Ruth bar. "Can I have that in a bag please?", thinking that was a simple request. "Oh you must not be from here. Plastic bags are outlawed here. We use paper bags but they are more expensive so we use them sparingly", she said. I introduced myself. Margie was probably in her 40s, a bit old fashion for her age I felt, but very firm in her stance against me thinking I needed a paper bag for my items. "Your candy bar will be gone before you hit the end of the block, your gum will fit into your pocket and as soon as you put down your coffee you will want to start drinking that water", she offered.
Thus started a thirty minute conversation on the passing of the ban of single use plastic bags. I didn't even know they were called single use plastic bags. I just wanted one for my purchase. This is nonsense I told Margie. "When you set your prices I am sure you include the cost of having to bag the items up for your customers." Margie smiled big "no, when we set our prices we set them so we can afford to pay for that boat my husband thought he had to have at the beginning of the rainy season. The boat we have taken out on Lake Washington ZERO time in the 2 months we have owned it." I laughed along with Margie. I told her that her honestly in her pricing structure was appreciated and that while I needed to move along in my day I hoped that soon her and her husband would have that boat out on the lake. "Have you named your boat yet?" I asked. "No", she said, "we are still thinking about that." I asked her if I might offer her a suggestion as a name. "Sure sweetie, what did you have in mind?" I smiled, "Prices Too High".
We shared a final laugh and I got a hug from a stranger that was just one of life's beautiful moments. "You come back and see me sometime sweetie when you have a couple days to go out on our boat" she said, "and meet our daughter." I walked away shaking my head, waving to her. "I just might do that Margie."
Driving back to Seattle, with a clear mind and refreshed outlook at the task ahead of me, I could not get the smile off my face. One moment, one person, one hug. Isn't that all we really need in life now and then? Even if it comes from a complete stranger on unfamiliar ground, at 6 in the morning just as the sun is rising over your head, it was enough to provide me with a new light.
My tidbits. Days of rowing across the waters for fresh Washington State fruits. Sons who should be mowing their fathers lawn. Little girls who HAVE to walk their pets. The ban of the use of single plastic bags. Tidbits of information that matter not to me, but matter to those that shared them. I ate my Rainier Cherry's on the way off of Mercer Island (which by the way were handed to me in a single use plastic bag). Thinking about mowing our lawn when I get back to Boston. Thinking about returning someday when I have a couple free days and making sure that that boat got named.
I thought about my little mind game regarding tidbits. How I try to decide which tidbit I uncovered matter the least to me. How I always felt tidbits are so mundane, so unimportant in my life. It did not take me long to realize that tidbits do matter. Tidbits matter to me, tidbits matter to the people I get them from and tidbits matter to everyone. Tidbits are what brings us together, forms the bonds of friendships, erases the title of stranger. Tidbits offer us a bit of information to start a conversation. Tidbits teach us about life, about each other. Tidbits are conversations topics we keep in the back of our mind for when we run into someone we have nothing else to offer.
Tidbits matter.
