Musings at Altitude

I’m fond of saying that “I’m chasing nirvana” as I pursue that perfect state in business or in life where all things just seem to click.  As proof that nirvana does indeed exist, I offer you this story from a friend and mentor who sent me this email when he was off on vacation just a couple years ago:

It’s about 6:00 PM in Yarmouth, ME.  At 5:09 PM when I assume you had your daily phone call, I was speeding toward Yarmouth.  We were in my son-in-law’s boat in Casco Bay heading toward the dock.  We were coming from Large Chebeaque Island where we had stopped and climbed up to the Chebeaque hotel for a beer.

We finally got back in the boat and were skimming the waves on one of the most beautiful cool and clear evenings that you can imagine.  The time was 5:08 PM.  The staff call was probably taking place just then.

You’ll all find this extremely hard to imaging, but my mind was not on work or all you guys.  I was just enjoying the ride, glad to be alive with my wife and family around me.

Then as we approached the Marina, my granddaughter said, “Grandpa, look at that big boat.”

I twisted my head and looked forward – – – – – and there, not 30 feet away was a beautiful sailboat.  And on its back end was the word, “NIRVANA!”  I blinked, and looked again and sure enough it said NIRVANA.

Instantly my mind switched to a thought of Stan.  I fumbled with my cell phone, got it out and tried to phone Stan!  The damn phone wouldn’t ring, I couldn’t get a signal!!!

I DESPERATELY WANTED TO TELL STAN THAT I HAD REACHED NIRVANA!  I’D FINALLY REACHED THE PLACE THAT HE HAD SAID SO MANY TIMES THAT WE WERE TRYING TO REACH!!!

Just then I looked up and we were past NIRVANA.  I damn near dived into the water so I could swim back and grab hold of NIRVANA.  But my son-in-law, not realizing what he had just passed up, kept moving toward his slip.

I put my head in my hands and thought, “I’ll probably never be this close to NIRVANA again.”

But wait a minute, didn’t Stan say that we were close to reaching NIRVANA, and would get there one day?  When we finally did everything right we would all reach NIRVANA.

Stan, I can tell you from personal experience – – – -I saw it with my own eyes.  My daughter and granddaughter saw it.  That’s three generations that saw it.  There’s no question we saw it!

Really – – -its in a boat slip at the Yarmouth Yacht Club, in Maine. Its not even moving.  Its really there.  I saw it.

With Fred’s story, I know for sure that NIRVANA is just one leap away!