Exec Corner: Learning to get lost

Something that really bothers me is when the people who I am with... worry.

You know people who worry all of the time, like “Oh no, we're going to be late to the gala”, “I think Tim won't come through on his side of the deal”, or “We're lost, we're so lost, nobody knows where we are and...we're lost.”

I like being on time, it gives me a sense of accomplishment, like there was a deadline and I made it, people were depending on me and I came through. But if I'm going to be late (and I usually am), I'm definitely not going to worry about not coming through. I'm sorry but I'm not going to ruin a perfectly good day over a five or 25-minute delay in something so temporal and fragile.

As a person I'm pretty insecure in who I am and what people think of me. I'm overt enough to tell you that I'm insecure, but I'm not going to show you in my body language.

I have this one fear, it's not heights, spiders, or getting cooties; I have a fear of being a burden to the people around me. It drives me mad inside to be around people who I don't feel accept me as I am, or want me around.

I was never invited to a party in high school and that's ok because I likely wouldn't have gone even if I had been invited, but the invite holds in it an acceptance principle which let's you know that the people you hang out with at school want you in their lives, not just because you are forced to sit beside each other in class.

I like to travel. I like to go places I've never been before whether it's five minutes from where I live or a two-day drive on the road. I love the excitement of seeing things I've never seen before. Of course I could just take pictures of the clouds and sunset, which I can take pictures of in my backyard, but my soul yearns for adventure. And getting lost somewhere that you have never been before is just... awesome! I love it.

But going to a new place with someone that relies on maps, directions and security is like having Mr. T put you in a half nelson for hours until you admit you can't feel your arm anymore. Nobody likes a Debbie Downer', and people who freak out when they are lost need to get a grip on life and learn to be excited about not knowing what's going to happen next.

My best friend loves adventure, and he likes getting lost, and so we do it frequently. We have such a strong friendship, you know the type that picks up from where it left off yesterday or three months ago whether you've had contact or not. If you've never experienced that, it's something to seek in life. But the foundation of our friendship was based on taking a chance, working through getting lost and needing one another to find our way to where we were going. And what great times we've had...

Getting lost has taken me to some of the best times of my life, like ending up in rivers, finding hidden waterfalls, seeing animals I never knew existed, meeting people I wish I'd never met, and people I wish I could spend the rest of my life with.

So my advice to you is get lost you hoser!!

Shinerama 2006
I want to thank everyone who volunteered for Shinerama, everyone who gave up their time, or the money they hold so dear and everyone who helped bring Shinerama to life. We raised $10,105.06 for a cure for cystic fibrosis, thanks a million!!!

Special thanks to Mr. Sub, Chartwells, Coca-Cola, Tim Horton's, ACL & Associates, Martin's Maintenance, Fanshawe Bookstore and the Out Back Shack, The Oasis, Fitness 101 and the many other contributors; your donations helped make this year's Shinerama at Fanshawe College a huge success. Folks all across Canada with cystic fibrosis thank you.