My dear friend Karen and I had rented a car in Manhattan and driven to Vermont for a long, fun weekend of downhill skiing.
On this particular evening, we had made the last run on the slopes, enjoyed après-ski, and were now heading back to our hotel, when it started snowing again. Soon a light dusting turned into a whiteout. It might have been evening, but it was bright out due to the white snow. Still, that didn’t make it any easier to drive with snow swirling around us.
I was the driver, yet could not make out where the road was beyond a foot or so ahead of us. Karen worked hard to assist me as best she could, with the hope that from the passenger’s side of the car she might be able to see some lane and road markings to guide me.
As we crawled along with no other vehicles in sight, frustrated, concerned, and whatever else, I blurted out to Karen, “Pick a direction!” We launched into hysterical laughter. Out of lemons, we had just made lemonade – perhaps even a snow cone!
On the spot, that phrase became famous for us, making history that is not apt to be forgotten. When one of us simply utters it to the other, we start laughing and we are brought back to that difficult, dangerous, and somewhat fearful experience. But more importantly, it reminds us of one of the many fun and joyful adventures we’ve shared, and the strength and quality of our love and long-time friendship.
These days, 20+ years later, the phrase has been picked up by some of our family members. In these times of extreme change, releasing old ways of thinking, letting go of material possessions, etc., Rog and I have evolved much. Yet we sometimes find ourselves clueless.
The other day Rog assessed what he truly knew about our current life, our life to be, friends’ situations, what was so locally, nationally, and globally – the list could go on. He concluded he knew nothing about anything, and was frustrated because he could not tap into Guidance or get direction. What a wonderful place to be, so open, so teachable. Then he exclaimed, “Pick a direction!” I immediately thought of Karen and reminded Rog of the origin of that phrase.
Karen mentioned our “pick a direction” story to husband Charlie again recently as well. They had been talking about driving in a storm. She suggested to me that “it looks like “pick a direction” has become our (yours and mine) mantra in a way for life.” Hmm. That is food for thought.
When we are stumped and don’t know which way to go, we still have it in our power to make a choice. We can decide the direction and start heading that way, remaining open to Spirit’s guidance, which we’d been seeking in the first place. Maybe sometimes we just need to take the first step –perhaps even the first plunge off the cliff – for God to then make Its Will known and open the flowing channels.
Rog and I have done just that, and more has been revealed to us in the past day or so than in recent weeks. We still don’t have total knowledge, but God’s abundance has increased, flowing to us with ease and grace. We’re taking that as validation that we picked the right direction.
