Wisdom #88

Wisdom from a One Room Schoolhouse Teacher #88

By Lana Moore

This week’s offering comes from a foreign land and typing the article on my phone. A first for me on both counts and also a once in a lifetime experience that I will remember for the remainder of my days.

My travels began early on a July morning, very early morning… one that I didn’t have to teach for once, …and as all great adventures begin, we must start this journey with the required phrase… “It was a dark and stormy night…”

No, really. It was dark and it was stormy. Well, raining with a bit of occasional lightning, which we could technically consider a stormy night. Right?

I have always traveled vicariously through others, listening to their stories, viewing their photos and hearing about what was experienced. I would soak it all in and wonder if there would ever be an opportunity for me to be the one to share my experiences.

Once before I had been in the process of planning an excursion with high school friends, passport and all, but that was just before the world shut down. I figured this trip of a lifetime would never happen.

Fast forward to this past spring when my friend contacted myself and another friend, and in essence, told us now was the time… let’s do it!

So, we did. The planning and anticipation began. Zoom meetings, multiple text messages and phone calls. Lists and planning, then more planning. Digging out suitcases, purchasing items I thought I would need. I thought it would never end.

My anxiety in preparing for this journey was that I had never flown in an airplane, and as someone who doesn’t like elevators, I was already in panic mode from day one. But I always tell my students that, at times, we must do hard things.

Our one room schoolhouse mother would tell us, that in any situation, if we didn’t try, we would never know if we could or not. So, here we go! I am doing hard things!

I kept thinking something would happen that would keep me from traveling, but no. I actually am now a world traveler. Well, a very small part of the world, anyway, but more so than before…

I left my home that rainy July morning wondering if the plane would be able to take off, and wondering what we would do if it was delayed due to the weather. What I found was that a bit of rain doesn’t keep an airplane grounded. Silly to think that it would when you think about it but I am a junior novice when it comes to travel.

My first ride in the air was captured via video and posted. I chuckle at it now that I have a whole

whopping three flights under my belt. My words when we left Terra firma were: “Jesus, keep us up here.” And He did. Thank you, Lord, for the safe passages to date, and thank you in advance for continuing to do so in the upcoming ones!

I still don’t like elevators, but I am getting better with them. And I am also taking my own advice by doing hard things… like willingly walk onto an airplane… Here’s to doing hard things, exploring new adventures, and finding out that if I try, I can do them no problem!