| My husband and I shared a lovely dinner with a | | | | adventure. I don't need to be scared or sleep on |
| delightful couple we met recently. The four of us | | | | airport floors anymore. I don't need to fall off a |
| were around the same age but from very | | | | ladder or a roof to know what that's like. Yet, I |
| different backgrounds and parts of the country. | | | | do need to expand my circle of experience to |
| We are from the East Coast. They are from | | | | include the unknown and the undiscovered. |
| America's Heartland. They started their family in | | | | I look forward to new friends and new scenery. I |
| their 20's. We started ours closer to our 40's. | | | | love having conversations with people who see |
| They are conservative; we are not quite as | | | | life differently than I do. I am excited to imagine |
| conservative. We had Chai after dinner. They had | | | | traveling to Ireland, learning a new language and |
| never heard of that before. We like rock n' roll, | | | | trying out a new hair style. |
| I'm not sure what kind of music they like; I'm | | | | When my kids were little I was comforted by |
| willing to guess country. We all were genuine and | | | | sameness which felt like stability. Now, sameness |
| gracious with each other; enjoying our differences | | | | is a bit...disquieting for me. I am looking for the |
| as we searched for what we had in common. | | | | next challenge, the next adventure, and the next |
| What we found we shared in common is a | | | | story. |
| lifetime of stories. And we told plenty of stories. | | | | I am going to ask you the same questions I |
| We laughed at our youthful follies. We all | | | | asked myself: |
| experienced new babies; being scared for our | | | | -What is your overall favorite story that you tell |
| children; pride in their high school achievements | | | | others? |
| and concerns for their future. We share interest in | | | | -What is your favorite story about... childhood? |
| the outdoors and natural beauty of where we are | | | | Adolescence? Travel? |
| now living. We all had been stranded on icebound | | | | -A Predicament you found yourself in? |
| highways and two of us had fallen of ladders and | | | | -How about an embarrassing story? |
| roofs. | | | | -A story about love? |
| I had a wonderful time. I believe we all did. And | | | | -A story that still can make you laugh? Cry? |
| something struck me about the evening. I realized | | | | -What is the story you want to tell a year from |
| that ALL of our stories were about by-gone days. | | | | now? |
| My favorite story of the evening was about | | | | -Five years from now? |
| when I rode the Greyhound bus from New York | | | | -10 years from now? |
| City to Denver when I was 22. I loved hearing all | | | | Stories are the fabric from which we are made |
| the stories about rural Middle America in the 60's. | | | | into the persons we are. As life coaches we learn |
| Suddenly, I remembered reading from the book | | | | a lot from a person's stories: What they care |
| BOTH my kids have given me on separate | | | | about, what and who they love; where they hide |
| occasions which cautioned that telling the same | | | | and how they perceive themselves. Our skill is |
| story over and over again may mean one is | | | | supporting our clients to weave their stories into |
| becoming, what is affectionately called, "A little old | | | | their dreams goals and desires in such a way that |
| lady". I'm not ready yet! | | | | awakens them to their gifts, challenges and |
| I realized I have a yearning for new stories, new | | | | possibilities. It is important whether or not we are |
| jokes and to re-acquaint myself with the magic of | | | | coaching face to face, on the phone, or online. |