Not sure why I didn’t think of this sooner.  The international distress signal might be the perfect answer for anything complicated in my life.  “Mayday, mayday, mayday!”  The first time it was referred to as such was in 1923, and was made official in 1948.  Apparently a radio officer came up with it because it was so close to the French word “m’aider,” which means “help me.”  It’s so simple!

I’ve written about landing planes and driving trucks, journeys and destinations…and yet, through all of my life travels over the past year, bouncing in and out of tight spots and uncertain landings, why is it I never once considered simply stopping, surveying the landscape, and sending out a mayday for help?  It’s not like there weren’t plenty of places since 2015 that were fraught with emotional stress and fear.  I paused long enough to write about it, turn it into something positive, and live to fight another day…and most days, I have landed in a good place.  But if anyone thinks this little text bubble of a blog is all sunshine and roses, think again.  There were plenty of maydays behind the scenes and I was never left stranded at any time…I might have cried mayday too often and too early, but just like the runway lights I wrote about during a different time in my life – for more on that go to http://oldschooljournaling.blogspot.com/2015/02/bandaids-friends-and-finally-landing.html
the  very tight circle of what I would call my “guardians of rough seas” were always there to help me re-fuel, re-energize, and get back on track.  I could not have made it this far without them.  But now I feel like I’m moving into more uncharted territory and international waters, where my calls for help need to transition into fewer moments of fear and crisis and more of me calming my own waters, often unsettled by my own making.  I know how to use a flare gun, I can swim (okay, doggie paddle), and if hard pressed, I can paddle too in order to keep moving even when the waters get rough.  I will start thinking more on my feet, believing in the best…but allowing for upsets as well.

Today’s the day I pause…and share absolutely nothing.  No trick mirrors or illusions of a grand journey bringing me to exactly where I want to be.  Hell no, I’m not where I want to be…but I do believe I’m exactly where I need to be.  I’m off to a great start and the mountains are starting to thin out, but I’m still trudging through the wilderness, surrounded by trees so dense, I lose my way just about every other day.   Am I inspired?  Yes, I am constantly inspired and amazed by stories of hope, Ted talks, Harvard Business Review, and the simple beauty of a sunrise or rainbow (even if thus far, I’ve not found a pot of gold at the end).   Am I acting on that inspiration and using it the way I should to be a better person…and not a bitter one?  Truth time?  No, not as much or as often as I’d like.  Some days I taste a big dose of bitter.  Some days I pause long enough to feel the exhaustion that I shake off every day…because if I pause too long, it will become a stronger driving force than the inspiration I look for and hunger for in every area of my life.

Today is the day I choose to share my mayday to the masses.  Not because my ship is sinking or I feel hopeless…but if it is the international distress signal for help, then I want to share it with my fellow travelers around the world…sometimes, the simple fact that it is Monday is reason enough to call out, “mayday, mayday, mayday.”  Let’s stick together and navigate our way safely to another, “Friday, Friday, Friday!”