Don't Cheat The Experience!

After an excruciatingly steep hike up a mountain, I was on my way down when the pain started to hit. I knew then that it was time to bust out the antidote and make the trip down bearable. As I reached into my backpack pocket for the ibuprofen, I had a sudden thought...

Don't cheat the experience!

So, I withdrew my hand, closed up the zipper and hobbled my way down the mountain slowly taking an extra hour. Sometimes, pain would hit. Sometimes it wouldn't, but there I was in my full, mortal glory living as I was meant to live. No shortcuts. No easy way out. My team was on the field.

I was in a boring meeting the other day and I went to reach for my phone, but I caught myself knowing that there was no way out. The meeting must be experienced in its full dullness. I must pay attention to the subject matter as it was meant to be consumed. It did not matter that the person giving the meeting had no training in pop culture references or even had the common decency to throw out a dad joke or anything. I could not cheat the experience. I had to focus and listen.

I pulled out the Rubik's Cube yesterday. For 35 years now, the solution has eluded me. Everyone I know has learned how to solve it. I am stubborn. When I was a kid, I got three sides. I was so close. I refuse to give in. I do not want to cheat the experience of learning for myself how to get all six. Some foolish pride thinking that at some point I will be smart enough on my own.

We sat down to do a puzzle today. My daughter pulled out the box to look at the picture. I quickly put it away stating that we do not look at the box. We solve puzzles by not cheating the experience. We look at the pieces and work our way there blindly.

I took my dog for a walk tonight. I let him go where he wanted. I had no control. I let him sniff and sniff. We have ended up in a part of town I have never been to. I am a little scared. He does not know how to get home. He's a puppy. But heaven forbid I should cheat the experience...