Sunday, October 19, 2008

Hugging Shane

It was another frantic day at the office when the soft buzzing of my cell phone inspired me to take a break. Digging ferociously through my new plum bag, I snatched it just in time to have missed all the excitement. Thank goodness a text scrolled across shortly after...because it was from none other than my dear friend, Shane Schulte!

Grinning in excitement and wondering which country this hero was in today, I read quickly and discovered he was literally blocks from work. Gathering my things and thinking to myself, "given his military status, he probably already knew where I worked and what time my calendar opened up" I was thrilled to hear he was interested in doing coffee for the mere 30 minutes I had left in my afternoon. Had I been able to clear my calendar for a year for this man, I would!

Within three minutes, he arrived at the front of building six, clearing items from his car that he claims to live out of when not on some secret agent mission across the lands. I was relieved to see he was exactly the same - from his glowing smile, warm heart, strong physique and overall authentic soul. Although three years lay between our last visit, we chatted as if no time had passed at all - the words falling freely from our mouths just as they were when we were inseparable buds in high school.

As we sat there talking, the memories came flooding back. The smell of fall in the air at football games, the broken hearts, the first loves, the never-ending friendships - a very large suitcase of goodness that I still carry in my heart. Understanding that no times will ever be quite like the magic of high school, I was relieved to know that a piece of that could all come back in the arms of an old friend. The feeling that cannot be described, replaced or even recreated - a plethora of blessings, all packed in a tiny box and completed with that bright pink bow. A package that will always sit perfectly under my tree of life.

As he pulled away, the moments, not long enough, I grew scared as always that this may be the last time I held him in my arms. But knowing the significance of his being, the goodness of his soul - I understood he was always carefully being watched. So as his military career advances him to the many places our hearts can never even fathom treading, I relish in this simple thing: hugging Shane. And I thought to myself - "these are the moments God wants us to hold on to." And forever...I will.

Miss you my friend! Love always!

A "I Wish I Had Thought of That" Moment - New Yorker Living Like Oprah and Making Headlines, Book Deals

On any given work day, one can pass my office and see a quote snatched right from Oprah's "quote of the day" emails - one of the delectable inbox treats I indulge in that doesn't related directly to my work, personal life or "to do" list. Scrawled in pink paint marker among a black background, it reminds me to keep perspective when all else seems lost. With just a quick turn of my head after receiving difficult feedback or after another 10-hour day, it's there with it's enormity - a few words written by someone way smarter and cooler than me - and I have to say, it's inspirational!

After all - that's what Oprah sells: inspiration. You can see it everyday in the eyes of her millions of viewers that tune looking for that one piece of advice, that moment of empathy or maybe just a recommendation on what skin care to use or jeans to purchase for that hard to manage waist-to-behind ratio. But nothing compares to what Ms. Robyn Okrant's done to gain this inspiration. This New Yorker is literally taking EVERY recommendation the billionaire throws out to viewers and applying it in her own life as a quest to see the social impact it makes. So far, Robyn's made CNN, the Today Show and almost every major newspaper in the United States! You know it's only a few days before Oprah's team runs the whole background check and invites her to the show. Then she can hug her in person! Can you imagine?

Let's face it - I'm jealous! Robyn, the educated yoga queen turned famous overnight for bettering herself from Oprah, is having her 15 minutes of fame. And I want a piece of it!

Yet another "I Wish I Had Thought of That" moment from Megan Choate - although it would still probably sound way more hip coming from New Yorker than this Kansas girl ;)

Cheers to innovation Robyn! May you delight in all it brings you!