Friday June 26, 2020

On the trail today I met a woman who unknowingly gave me a lot to think about. We had a brief conversation while passing each other on the trail. She appeared to me to be gliding around the headland like a pro. What I didn’t realize was she was frustrated with herself because she felt out of shape.

In the few minutes we talked, we discussed the importance of keeping our bodies moving and maintaining our long term mobility. We didn’t exchange any other personal information but I’m guessing she and I are at a similar point in life; focused on getting ourselves where we want to be after decades of caring for others. As women, I think it’s a pretty common phenomenon that we give away “the farm” in terms of the amount of energy we dedicate to others. Whether that includes raising children, marriage, caring for aging parents, spouses/partners with health issues and/or succeeding in our careers and all the demands related to the job. All of these hats require rolling up your sleeves and fulfilling a leadership role. It takes a lot of energy to juggle it all and no one really has an “S” on their chest or a red cape. Everything good or bad comes at a cost.

My husband gave me a copy of Sheryl Sandberg’s book, Lean In. I enjoyed the book and related to a lot of it. I also felt that the book was really written for women in business who are primarily motivated by financial gain. The book didn’t really tie in women in the non-profit sector which was my field of choice. No one (unless they are misguided) goes into the non-profit sector because they expect to climb the ladder and make a lot of money. You may climb the ladder but the rewards are very different. I can’t speak for all, but the reason I chose the museum field was because I wanted to connect with community and to try and understand where we came from. I love life long learning and the stories of people’s lives. Museum collections to me are educational tools that help tell the human stories. They also help us relate to one another. During my career I have been rewarded with the honor of building relationships with a diverse range of people while learning about other people’s lives and how those lives have impacted or been impacted by others.

So today’s walk in the fog was also about introspection and perspective. Also thinking about what my next goal is. All motivated by a few minutes of dialogue with someone I may never see again. #iluvtowalk #walkingmakesmehappy #baxteronthego #leanin

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