Control the ControlLABLE, Leave the Rest to God
I recently returned from a trip to the great state of Alaska. I must say, Alaska is one of the most spectacular places I have ever visited. Describing the vastness and variety of sites in our forty-ninth state is difficult. The land of endless sun is a place I will never forget.
Consider the fact that two states of Texas would fit into Alaska, and from end to end, the state is almost exactly the entire length of the lower forty-eight states. Alaska boasts the largest number of Bald Eagles in the USA, somewhere between forty and fifty thousand. Around 13,000 of these magnificent creatures are in Juneau, the capital city, alone. Alaska sports the highest mountain in North America, standing 20,310 feet into the sky. Because of its lower base elevation, Denali rises more footage than Mount Everest. On a clear day, Denali can be seen from Anchorage, a five-hour drive. We experienced the privilege of seeing this wonder.
The United States purchased this behemoth from Russia in 1867 for a mere 7.2 million dollars or about two cents per acre. Many people considered this a stupid acquisition, and the Secretary of State who had arranged the purchase was reviled. They called it “Seward’s Folly.” They were wrong! Instead, the forty-ninth state was Seward’s most outstanding achievement.
For me, the journey was supremely memorable and a real adventure. We dubbed our trip, planes, trains, and automobiles after one of my favorite movies starring Steve Martin and John Candy. Though the events were not nearly as bad as the movie, our travels were sometimes challenging. My travails reminded me of a fundamental principle that, when applied to your life regularly, results in greater peace and enjoyment. When we do not implement this axiom, we suffer a roller-coaster range of emotions from anxiety to anger.
We arranged to start our trip at the Harrisburg airport, where we would fly to Chicago and then to Vancouver, where we would board a ship the following day. However, the flight was first pushed back to a time that would not allow us to connect in the Windy City, and then the flight was ultimately canceled. Woe! How about several thousand dollars and a once-in-a-lifetime vacation lost because the airline decided there were not enough riders to make money from this trip?
As I was working to make other arrangements, our airline phoned me and graciously began working to find us another tenable route. This included possibly leaving from Newark, Philadelphia, Baltimore, or Washington. Finding the right flight was challenging, but she finally arranged a flight from Baltimore to Chicago to Vancouver. We would arrive late but in time to get a little sleep before boarding the ship.
We made it to Chicago, albeit late, which meant a full-on run to catch our next flight, which we barely made. Meanwhile, while stowing my carry-on luggage, I hit my forehead on the corner of the luggage door. I take blood thinners, so it doesn’t take much to make me bleed like a stuck pig. I spent the first hour with an array of tissues pressed tightly to my head and wore my injury, a bright red dot on the forehead, for the remainder of the trip.
Our return flight from Anchorage was a direct, non-stop flight to Dulles in Washington, where we would rent a car and drive home. Now, we would be required to drive to Baltimore to pick up our car and then back to Mechanicsburg. A good friend had arranged this flight and booked us first class at no extra charge. There was no way we weren’t getting on that plane! A six-hour first-class flight was easily worth an extra hour’s drive home.
Thus began our journey, which became a circus of uncontrollable mishaps.
The following day, we headed for the ship, thoroughly excited. A few weeks earlier, the company offered me an upgrade to one of their best suites for a steal of a price, and I took it. Woohoo! I would have a living space, a large veranda, two butlers, a concierge, and free drinks and food in the lounge across the hall from my estate. Finally, someone recognized my luminous stature and placed me in proper accommodations. I also boarded the ship early in a special line created just for their tip-top passengers. Yes, folks, I am special.
We settled into our rooms and headed for a ship tour, ending in one of the classy lounges. All was well in Oz; the next ten days would be spectacular. However, though the journey would be memorable, my memories would include several twists and turns.
It started when the ship arrived in Skagway, where we would proceed to the theater and sit according to our assigned groups with whom we would share the rest of the trip. We proceeded to the group five area, but somehow, my instructions said I was in group six. What?! This meant I was on a completely different itinerary and would not spend any of the trip with my friends. We all three agreed, “not gonna happen!”
We booked this trip together, at the same time, months earlier. We also called the cruise line three times to confirm we would be traveling together and received email confirmations of such.
Alaska was a once-in-a-lifetime trip and my forty-seventh state to visit. My knee-jerk reaction was to get angry. After all, I spent a lot of money on this excursion and expected to be treated well. Not to mention, this was also part of my upcoming seventieth birthday gift. Perhaps it was time to bring out my best-entitled attitude.
However, I learned many years ago that if you are going to travel, you will encounter setbacks and unexpected challenges, and most of these events are beyond your control. I repeat. Most of these unplanned twists and turns are beyond one’s control. The proverbial statement is true. Sh…. Happens.
But here’s the deal. You can control how you react. You can choose to make yourself and everyone around you miserable, or you can roll with the punches and keep a smile on your face. I propose that keeping a smile on your face and a good attitude is better than becoming angry, irritable, abusive, and feeling entitled.
Immediately, our tour guides started working on the problem. They went up the chain of command until someone gave me the okay to become a five instead of a six. But this change would have implications. Even though I was now a proud “five,” all the future plans were in the wrong place and I was not on any group five lists.
When we got on every bus, the driver or guide checked a list of riders to ensure everyone was in the right place. From hence forward, I was not on any list – bus, hotel, excursion, etc. So, every time we rounded a new corner, our first-time tour guide had to be summoned to confirm my five status. The whole ordeal became a running joke within a few moments of the original mistake. I was getting to enjoy something that no one else on the trip had experienced. Woot! Woot! The situation made me a little nervous at times since I wasn’t sure my luggage would be traveling with me, but at each step of the journey, our faithful guide made it happen.
Ami was a delightful young woman, and though she was not an experienced tour guide, she had traveled extensively. Each time I boarded the bus or train or inquired about my hotel room; she was in action. I kept telling her I was the customer with no name. The cruise line, I was a non-entity. Would she ever get me a name so I could be on the next list? No. But we had fun teasing about the snafu. I was Ami’s problem child, and I enjoyed every minute.
There was another man on this trip who was about my age, and he became well-known in group five. He complained constantly and was vocal about it. Nothing out of the ordinary happened to him. His name was on every five list wherever we went, and he experienced no glitches. But he still found something not pleasing to his taste at every turn. People began to avoid him, and I wanted to throw him off the bus or leave him somewhere in the Alaskan wilderness. But that would not be the Christian thing to do, so I refrained. I wondered, how in the world could you be seeing and experiencing what Alaska has to offer and bitc…. about it? I hope I am never an unpleasant memory during someone’s special moments. That’s a thought to ponder. Have you ever been a participant in something and acted in such a manner that you would be remembered as “that person?”
Folks, life is cluttered with the uncontrollable. Uncontrollable weather, circumstances, outcomes, and human interactions are part and parcel of life. If we worry, become angry, depressed, or any other adverse reaction to the inevitable, we are wasting our lives. Control what you can control and roll with the rest. You can control how you react to any situation. You are not the victim of your emotions. You can choose to turn proverbial lemons into lemonade – for real.
Fall in love with the mystery, the unexpected, the unforeseen, and the surprising moments in life. Don’t waste your life worrying about things beyond your scope. Control what you can control and learn to enjoy the process. Just turn things over to God and rest in His capable hands. If you do not, you will frequently be miserable and make those around you the same.
I had a blast in Alaska, and the last time I stepped onto the bus, I was on the list! Woot Woot! I was a real person and a five to boot. I congratulated Ami on her arduous but fruitful labor and tipped her well. I also told her the cruise line hired me to be her pain in the butt so she could learn how to be a good trip guide. She rolled her eyes and smiled.
I hope you make it to Alaska. It is worth whatever happens along the way. Stop losing sleep over things you cannot control and apply your energy to things you can. Then, leave the rest to God.
Live Inspired!
Don Mark
