Three Little Random Thoughts #3 – Outlook

Welcome to my little blog, I am grateful for your interest. I am continuing with this new category on my blog called “Three Little Random Thoughts” – today the theme is “Perspective”. I hope my grey hairs qualify me on this topic. ☻

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When I was a child in Vancouver I took swimming classes during the summer in an outdoor pool, Hastings pool, appropriate as it was on the corner of Hastings Street and Renfrew.

Google picture – sometimes you have to dive in

It wasn’t a huge pool and only open a few months of the year, it was an exciting place to be when you are a pre-teen and in the east side of the “big” city.

I remember walking from home and the pavement got sticky on the hot days of summer, my towel over my shoulder. Those were carefree times, I just had my towel, socks and shoes – life was simple.

The lessons were in the morning and in the afternoon, kids could just splash around.

Every hour the lifeguards would kick everyone out of the pool and the building. There was usually a line-up of kids outside the building waiting to get in. They would be lined up behind a rope like you see people waiting in a bank to see a teller.

If there weren’t too many waiting outside at the end of the hour, I would leave the pool early and get in line before the lifeguards closed the pool. I did that so that I could be let in with the next “bunch” and before everyone got in line ahead of me.

I remember there was a small diving board and a big diving board. The small one was maybe 3 feet over the water surface, but the “big” one was 9 feet over the water. Standing at the side of the pool and looking up at the “high” diving board, it didn’t look that scary. I remember climbing up that aluminum ladder shakily and every single time, it was a lot higher looking down at the pool than it was looking up at the high diving board.

I think now I could have learned a lesson then about perspective, and maybe I did. I am sure kids trivialized the bravery of someone like me who at first was afraid to dive off that high board. They were looking from the outside and from the pool deck.

Now I hope I have learned a few lessons. One is that diving off of a high board, or anything, in life isn’t easy, and two that it’s always a relief to look up and laugh when you are safe in the pool.

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There are places I’ll remember

All my life, though some have changed

Some forever, not for better

Some have gone, and some remain

All these places had their moments

With lovers and friends, I still can recall

Some are dead, and some are living

In my life, I’ve loved them all

In My Life – The Beatles

Africa learns to make us disappear

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I enjoy reading and often a few books “on the go”. If you enjoy reading as I do, you may have a few favorites.

I never tire of reading “Sherlock Holmes” stories. There are all sorts of what I suppose we think of as “spin offs” from the original created by Arthur Conan Doyle.

I enjoy the language of the historical stories as it rich and I am often adding words to my own vocabulary as a result of reading or taking note of a quote from a story.

I confess that I have been as blind as a mole, but it is better to learn wisdom late than never to learn it at all. – The Man with the Twisted Lip / Sherlock Holmes

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While walking to burn calories I regularly listen to a show called “Under the Influence” – it is a CBC Podcast.

The creator, Terry O’Reilly, has an amazing show, each one about 27 minutes long. He tells stories about various themes related to …. well, see for yourself. Click here

Each episode of his show illustrates amazing research. In one of his episodes he talked about the famous “Wright Brothers” – Wilbur and Orville. Now you may already know the story but did you know that they often argued?

Arguing isn’t special, but how they settled their disputes was. After arguing their point of view, they would switch sides and argue the other brothers point of view.

Isn’t that wonderful? They would actively try to see the points of view of the other brother – resulting in understanding and I assume better decisions.

I think that is “Wisdom”

Wilbur and Orville Wright were American inventors and pioneers of aviation. In 1903 the Wright brothers achieved the first powered, sustained and controlled airplane flight; they surpassed their own milestone two years later when they built and flew the first fully practical airplane.

https://www.history.com/topics/inventions/wright-brothers

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That’s all folks! I hope you are well, developing your own outlook, wisdom and perspective. – David