"What it comes down to is the small things," Tim explained as we ran and puffed our way along the 15 mile route.
Catching his breath, Tim goes on, "After much suffering in silence and even angry words, it is the minor inconveniences that does us in every time."
Tim, his wife, Jan and I were training for a half*marathon race.
About 20 people in our running group all start out together early on Saturday mornings but it was us three who seem to fall into the same pace after about mile 3 .
We were neither in The Slow Group or in The Fast Group which has often been the story of my life.
Tim, Jan and I were in The Steady As She Goes Group but we always finished the race. No matter what.
Tim was a Life Coach and flew to different cities giving presentations to groups at corporate conventions. Helping people work smoothly together in spite of their differences. Building esprit de corps.
Tim was a motivator extraordinaire.
I'll say...
Whilst we moved steadily across the miles I would pick Tim's brain as it was there for the picking.
Plus, as you well know by now, I am filled with questions. Always.
What makes some move on?
What causes folks to quit their job?
Why do married people throw in the towel?
What signal tells our brain we have simply had enough?
Why do we hit the road after being in the same place for so long?
I find Longevity to be an interesting topic on many levels.
If one cannot hang in there with satisfaction, one cannot hang in there for any great distance.
In road races.
In life. And so on...
"It is the minor inconveniences that occur over and over again , day after day, that will be the end of any relationship," Tim explained.
"If every day your husband uses the scissors and does not put them back, if you ask him kindly to please put back the scissors and he does not, because after all it is such a small thing, if day after day you have to go find the scissors, eventually you just get Fed Up."
"Hunting for scissors is such a minor inconvenience.
But you get the idea. Scissors is just an example."
That day after this run I stopped at the store and bought scissors.
All kinds of scissors.
Scissors for the kitchen, for the bathrooms, for every room in the house. Years later, to this very day, I see my scissors in every room waiting.
Quiet little symbols to remind me to Pay Attention To The Small Things.
Not to cut things in two, these scissors standing at the ready, but to keep things together.
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