1Men are, by cliché and practice, reluctant to ask for directions. It a natural for men to take on challenges with the premise that he can do it on his own. If the challenge is clearly beyond anything we can do, we may initially try but eventually we will seek help.
Life likes to remind me that this is not a gender driven behavior. As I pause and note the events going on around me, I can see evidence everywhere. We like being independent. We thrive on successfully doing something on our own. For many, collaboration is a sign of weakness and asking means you are not dominating enough to win. Failure is a great teacher that we try to ignore. We need, no want to be in control. Our natural behaviors when we were three and four years old live on.
A friend has sought my help, twice in recent days. His timing caught me off guard. All around him were examples of others trying on their own. It was a hard thing to watch except that I was not expected to help. Even if I wanted to, I am not sure the offer would have been accepted. So, I sat, watched, and wondered.
His example of going asking a source for help triggered a hard look in the mirror. I see my behavior fitting in with the norm. I want to be independent, doing everything on my own, staying in control. With age I have experienced more failure than I care to recall. Overall it reminds me that I could have avoided some of the pitfalls if I had asked and received help.
As another day begins, you and I have a chance to invite others into our lives. We will benefit from their experiences and insights. We will know more because of their experiences. We will be stronger as we share life’s load. To everyone that has be a part of my life, I want to say thank-you. “You’re a fountain of cascading light, and you open our eyes to light.” (Psalm 36.9)
