Today on the 26th day in Twenty Eighteen I am finally doing something I have been meaning to do for a while. In fact, I have been wanting to start a Blog for a few years now but never finished! I say finished because I feel I started years ago. Throughout my lifetime I have always thought of myself as an amateur writer. I am always thinking and writing down random thoughts and ideas that I find somewhat important to me. Most of those being written on napkins, scrap papers, receipts and some get lucky enough to get saved to my phone.
On the 26th day in Twenty Eighteen and the fourth week of the year, I find myself sitting down and bringing those thoughts and ideas together for my very first post. I find it funny and a little mysterious as for why I got the urge to do this now after so much time of waiting. Perhaps some of that waiting had to do with a little fear and doubt (I will explore that area more in the future) or perhaps some of that waiting didn’t know how to finish. Recently someone shared with me a quote that really made me think about how to view the world and how I can be a part of some cause of change. What good are those ideas and thoughts that I keep writing and saving to the world if I do not share them on some platform?
“90 percent perfect and shared with the world always changes more lives than 100 percent perfect and stuck in your head.”
―Jon Acuff
As I reflect back, Twenty Seventeen was all about waiting. In fact, I can’t think of a year that I experienced so much waiting (some of it being easy, some of it not so easy and some of it that I am still waiting on). One thing I know for sure from Twenty Seventeen is that I am not a huge fan of the idea of waiting but am starting to understand it a little more as I shift my focus on towards that.
People are always surprised to hear when I say how much I love Chipotle. For years, I heard everything from Chipotle is too spicy to they don’t have queso (now they do) and that the lines are always long (I say get the app). Regardless of what fence you stand on, I am a huge fan of Chipotle! My fascination with the company is more than just the delicious food. Realistically, what Steve Ells (founder of Chipotle) discovered was that people want somewhat healthy food that tastes delicious that can be made to the customers’ requests. It is an idea that he came up with that has now been copied over by other restaurants and corporations to the new standard. I love walking into the restaurant, seeing the kitchen and hearing the stirring, the whistling and sounds of team members making the food. In this case, I love waiting in line and seeing the different displays of meats, vegetables, and toppings to make my burrito just right. It feels like a different type of waiting.
A few years ago I accepted a position for a summer job in Colorado and had a chance to spend a few months living out West. I had never been to Colorado but always knew I wanted to visit and needless to say, I made it a priority to visit the first Chipotle and original store on East Evans Avenue. I remember it as if it was yesterday venturing to the exact location of the original restaurant with my buddy Josh. A free burrito, free t-shirt, and selfie turned into one of the best experiences of my life. Today people make fun of me because of it but Chipotle has always been a good experience for me and always brings me back to great memories even if I have to wait. Waiting at Chipotle is like waiting in line for a new Nintendo or waiting for a new Marvel or Star Wars film to be released. Once the wait is over I get a good feeling of accomplishment and adventure knowing that the wait was worth it. I truly believe we can make life that way also.
When the new Mini Nintendo came out in Twenty Sixteen I waited three hours in line and when the new Mini Super Nintendo came out in Twenty Seventeen I waited five hours in line with my buddy Andrei. Although it was really early and I sometimes had the urge of using the restroom I knew waiting was going to be worth it and it was an experience I will never forget.
While I have had many great experiences and great memories waiting, I also reflect on the times that waiting hasn’t been so easy. Personally speaking, Twenty Seventeen wasn’t the greatest year for me in those regards. While I am thankful for the blessings of life and friendships developed I feel the year brought on a lot of loss, sadness, confusion and the waiting was sometimes the hardest part. Having family overseas makes waiting seem even harder. Thankfully, technology today has changed the way we can communicate making it a bit easier. However, can you imagine a time when it wasn’t so accessible? Sometimes having to wait days and months to find out if loved ones or friends were hurt or alright?
“But those who wait on the Lord, Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.” Isaiah 40:31
Waiting is a tricky thing that I believe requires us to have genuine faith. Being patient and waiting shows God that you can trust Him with your life (not just in that moment). As we move forward, we have to remember that waiting can be both positive and negative. It can be something fun waiting for new technology, new films, new restaurants or entertainment to open up or can be extremely challenging and stressful. Today we all will wait in one form or the other…either together or separately. As I write this on the 26th day of Twenty Eighteen I wait in hope for new adventures, endeavors, and new opportunities to arise and am going to give waiting a better chance and make Twenty Eighteen a God Thing.
MikeManTravels 