Hiding

“Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.”

~ Mike Tyson, Boxer

As a child, my parents’ bedroom had a very heavy, real wood chest of drawers. It was diagonal in the room's corner and created a hidden triangle of space.

I was playing hide and seek with my sisters and thought of that perfect hiding spot. It was especially nice because my parents’ room was off-limits. I always assumed that is why they didn’t check, but now I wonder if they just pretended to play so that I would go away for a while.

The dresser was taller than me, so I staggered the two bottom drawers to become steps. I went up and over the top of the dresser. It was a little tight but bearable for the hiding game.

A child’s eternity passed, and I grew tired of waiting to be found. I decided to climb out, so I shimmied my arms up and over my head. I got my fingers on top of the dresser, but they weren’t strong enough to lift me. I definitely wasn’t strong enough to move what was becoming the dumbest dresser I’d ever encountered.

I do not know how long I was back there. It is unlikely I even missed a meal, but it felt like days. Maybe a week. Finally, my dad came home and freed me.

I will charge into situations, knowing exactly what the beginning looks like. Less frequently do I consider what the ending might look like. I should think through the next couple of steps. I can leave room to modify my plan, but I should try to identify any obvious errors before I get moving.

Am I wasting time by hurrying? Can I begin with the end in mind? Will I slow down to speed up?

Be curious, be kind, be whole, do good things.