In his book Unscripted, Ernie Johnson Jr. tells a story about a baseball game he was playing in as an eight year old. A ball was hit over the chain-link fence and when two outfielders hopped the fence to look for the ball they came upon a blackberry patch. They stopped to enjoy the tasty blackberries while the other players waited and wondered. Ernie says that this story has become central to his perspective on work, relaxation--about life. "It's a kind of parable about not being afraid to step away from the game (translated: the job, the meeting, the conference call, the list of e-mails, the seemingly pressing matter at hand) to appreciate the unexpected, unscripted moments."
Ernie continues, "I think God has placed blackberry brambles along the paths we walk every day. We just need the eyes to see them, the ears to hear them, and the hearts to detect them. All that stands in the way is the busyness of life. We're all so focused on sticking to the script from one day to the next, one meeting to the next, one sales call to the next, that we blow right by the unscripted moments that can profoundly impact not just our lives but also the lives of those with whom we share the planet, the workplace, or a home. If there's one thing life has taught me, it's not to fear the unscripted but to embrace it."
This little story has impacted me and I have thought about the blackberry moments that I am too busy to notice. I need to work on bending my schedule to accommodate blackberry moments, but here are some special times that I had not planned on in the past week, but that came upon me and I very much enjoyed:
Talking with the Brook's sisters at the walk-and-talk
Sewing an Indian costume for a granddaughter and another one for her doll
Looking at a couple of gorgeous sunsets
Talking with my husband and children
Laughing in the hallways of the Hunstman Cancer Center with my brother and nieces
Singing silly songs while grandchildren took turns on the trampoline
Drinking a refreshing sprite
It is these little moments that provide refreshment along the way and happiness to keep us going.
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