Missing the Forest for the Trees!

A few weeks ago, I found an old reporter’s notebook of mine. It’s from when I graduated from college and had my first real job working as a reporter for my hometown newspaper. I covered the county commissioners and made daily trips to the courthouse to cover meetings, keep on top of the crime docket and civil court, and dig for stories.

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When I was in the courthouse, I regularly came into contact with an old janitor. He was usually hunched over in a work shirt, bib overalls, and boots. He’d greet me with a smile and a warm hello. I would inevitably ask him what was going on. He would stop doing whatever he’d been working on — maybe mopping up a tile floor or emptying a trash can. He’d let a second or two pass and would then tell me a joke. He told dad jokes before dad jokes were a thing. They were second nature for him. They rolled off his tongue the way junk mail and spam might fill up your inbox. Unlike the spam, though, his jokes were a welcome break.

“Why shouldn’t you write with a broken pencil? …Because it’s pointless!”

Or this one:

“Which days are the strongest? Saturday and Sunday. The rest are weekdays.“

Mainly, he’d chat about whatever was on his mind or in the news. He spoke in a soft, calming voice and would usually preface his thoughts with an old saying or idiom. He seemed to have a new one every time I saw him. I started to fill up my notebook with them. At first, I thought it was silly of me, but the more I did it, the more I found the sayings to be funny and full of wisdom. Here’s some of them:

• “Red sky at night, shepherd’s delight.”
• “If you wallow with pigs, expect to get dirty.”
• “Heaven helps those who help themselves.” 
• “Boasters brag most when they cannot be detected.”
• “Sleep on it and decide tomorrow.”
• “A merry companion is music on a journey.”
• “The child with poor sight can’t see the forest for the trees.”
• “He’s slower than molasses running uphill in the winter.”
• “Don’t piss on my leg and tell me that it’s raining.”
• “If you don’t feel small next to God’s great beauty, something’s wrong with you.”
• “There’s always someone worse off than you.”

I’ve loved these old phrases and others like them. I’m especially drawn to “not being able to see the forest for the trees.” My dad used to say the same thing similar when I was a kid. It’s used to describe someone who gets so focused on the minor details they miss the larger perspective. We all run the risk of it.

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When I stumbled across my old notebook, I was reminded of that old phrase again. I was reminded that at certain points of my life, I’ve been so focused on working my way up some mythical corporate ladder or making something of my life that I’ve forgotten that I’ve achieved some of the biggest dreams that I had as a child.

Okay, I might not be Superman, a fireman, an astronaut, or even a professional athlete — all things I wanted to achieve before I hit thirty — but I have accomplished other things. They include:

–Earned an education beyond secondary school.

–Bought my own car.

–Took the afternoon off on a Friday to chill and relax.

–Traveled the U.S. from the Atlantic to the Pacific Oceans.

–Felt the majesty of the mountains, the roar of the ocean, and the gentle slap of a lake.

–Led others in the workplace.

–Loved someone and been loved back.

–Trained and ran marathons.

–Been of service to others.

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–Looked up in wonder at the Basílica de la Sagrada Família in Barcelona, oohed and awed the vastness of the Grand Canyon, and stepped back in awe at a massive mama black bear and her three cubs in the Shenandoah Mountains, running down the slope before a huge thunderstorm rolled into the area.

–Became a published writer.

–Gotten paid to travel for work.

–Been a friend to others.

–Overcome personal mountains and challenges.

–Married my best friend.

–Held out my pinky finger and had each of my three babies, each just delivered, reach out and hold onto it like their lives depended on it — and then watched all three of those babies grow from infants into adults. (Let’s hope when my body betrays me and my faculties start to go, they’ll reach back with bright smiles and open arms.)

When I was young, all of these things seemed nearly impossible to me. I couldn’t see them happening. Somehow I’ve been able to do what the old janitor suggested. I’ve kept my focus on the big picture.