Easy Pivot

by Jim Dickens October 2024

It was interesting to me how the situational context changed my emotional response.  For several months I planned a trip with flights, lodging, guides, gear and research.  I planned to visit the Smoky Mountains for a couple of weeks with my family for a while and my fishing buddy, Chet, for a while. Then two hurricanes, Helene and Milton hit and all plans were cancelled.

Consulting with Chet and family, vacation was replanned to Montana and San Francisco respectively requiring a new set of expenses and hours of effort.  It hardly seemed an inconvenience. There was no anger at the forced change and we were not flabbergasted. For me, the reason was that compared to the misery of the affected in North Carolina  what I had to do was nothing.  It seemed like a calm easy change.  Under different circumstances, the change would have seemed much greater.

Chet and I ended up free styling do it yourself fishing in Montana thanks to our buddy Pete who joined us and put us up.   We saw new country and new water,  the Smith River 10 miles outside White Sulphur Springs.  The area was full of wildlife including golden eagles.  Driving through the Bridger mountains back to Bozemen we saw over 1,000 deer, over 100 pronghorn, and two herds of elk.  Since it was DIY wade fishing we did more than 20,000 steps a day in waders,  good for our health.  It also prepared me for the hills of northern California.

Lori and I met our son and daughter in law in San Francisco.  Lori and I walked the city up and down and up and down.   We went to the de Young Art Museum in Golden Gate park, an unusual outing for me as I know little about art.  My favorite piece the rest of my family found very off putting so I have included a picture.   We also rode coaster bikes down the coast from Princeton to the Half Moon Bay Ritz Carlton.  We all preferred modest fare so we ate lunch at Dad’s Luncheonette and had a beer on the beach instead of the Ritz.  So great to be with family exploring new beautiful things.

In addition to the great experiences, here is a key takeaway.  When unplanned, unwanted change happens don’t make it any harder with negative vibes.  It may not be as bad as you think.