Many years ago, Mackinac became a favorite vacation destination for our family. Charlton was a baby the first time we visited the island; we regularly took our fall break in Mackinaw City.
Lad, age 4 in 2004, and two weeks ago, nearly 15, at Colonial Michilimackinac.
Clearly, the boy has doubled in size.
I recall asking him to stand against the gun for the first photo, thinking ahead to future visits, and thinking how fun it would be to chart his growth. We had three or four pictures, but with our move to Arizona, a looming five year gap emerged.
This is one of the reasons I wanted so badly to get Up North on our visit home...it's as close to a time machine as any other thing.
Yes, I own a real time machine. It's called memory. Interestingly, not many want to take a trip in their own time machines, and even go so far as to deny their existence.
I love my time machine.
Recently I learned how to utilize my time machine to improve my future. My still broken hand has left me discouraged and frustrated; it's been hard making lemonade when I used up all of the sugar.
Then I realized I could have iced tea with lemon instead.
Nope, I didn't need to steampunk a new brace.
...it's time to learn how to write with my left.
Oh, it's frustrating, and I am DESPERATE to be able to type (I blog with my left thumb.). I spent HOURS today trying to write with dictation apps, only to get discouraged again.
If at first you don't succeed...
I had forgotten.
With nothing but one hike a week to my name, I had forgotten what I had learned in my Quest.
As days turned to weeks and now months with an injury, I had overlooked the solution: try something new.
My six-year-old-like scratches became more legible this week. You can read it now.
That and Disney announced this:
Yes, I'm still frustrated. But I'm moving forward.
Better yet, I've turned my back on an old stumbling block and refused to even deal with it.
What good is a time machine if you don't use it?
And what good are lemons not added to your tea?
There is good in this world; I will find it.
There's too much in this world to be thankful for and to enjoy to stay down for long.
And my time machine helped me get there.
