First Idea is Absurd #61

There are times when I imagine things first and then jump into action to make the idea happen. What if the first idea appears to be absurd? 

Then what?  

There is a quote from Albert Einstein about this. 

If at first the idea is not absurd, then there is no hope for it. 

I have thought about this for years, posted it on a quote board I keep and then went in for a deeper dive. 

Why would anyone think up an idea that is absurd?  When I first saw this, I sat it to the side. 

Then it began to seep into my thoughts again. 

Bit by bit.

The absurd ideas began to simmer.

Yes.  The absurd ideas began to simmer. 

Who does this?  

Ok, who does this besides Albert Einstein? 

I began watching the movers, thinkers and mentors around me. The ones who quietly made changes over time. 

It came to me that they were audacious, tenacious and at times, absurd.  

Thinking out of the box. That’s what they were doing. 

Smiles and aha moments were plentiful. 

The idea must be absurd for it to go anywhere. Is that it?

I realized that ideas only appeared to be absurd to others who were in a space of accepted and safe ideas, at the time. 

Perhaps part of this for me comes from the fact that I am a turtle.  Do you remember?  I find that I need to stick out my neck to get anywhere. 

So does the turtle. 

Imagine that the goal is beyond the imaginable, that it is absurd.

To make a move toward a big goal, even an absurd one, I have to be willing to imagine that the goal is beyond the

 imaginable, that it is absurd. 

Though it may appear to be beyond common sense or unreasonable. 

Now, this has looked a number of ways over the years. 

When I began running as a new young mom, I would run from one light post to the next and then walk for one minute. 

Increasing my running until I was running from one block to the next and then from one mile to the next. 

There were some who thought that me running again was absurd and ridiculous. 

It did not matter.  Running continued for me as I found flow and rhythm with small then bigger races. 

Think of an absurd goal you have made in your life. 

Did it go beyond what others thought was reasonable? 

Ok, now go to a bigger goal and idea. 

I know people who are celebrating their 5000th podcast download. Congrats to Sara Bradford!  

That is how big we can go. 

Think with me. 

I will let you in on three ideas that were absurd, that I felt were beyond hope. 

Like these three turtles

Y’all.  Like these three turtles.  

Do you see them?  They are different from each other and yet stick together. 

This group, or bale, of turtles have been hanging out at my house since … well, a very long time. 

The middle colorful turtle with orange stripes on the head, has one large eye that we can see, two green circles with small white dots in a halo with one small dot in the middle of the green circle.  

What else about this multi-colored turtle?  This one came to me during a free flowing time of life. Music, dancing and trying new things happened almost like the waving pink lines on the shell.  

Find the other colors that pull your eyes and calm your soul. 

That is what came with this first turtle. 

Our life, my life, was full and open.  Grand moments happened at this time with many people including the ones in our home. 

Here is mine. 

I learned this when I began talking with others who were also advocating for their kids with disabilities. 

Our children had different needs and yet we all wanted to learn how to talk with those who made laws and policies, so we worked together, learned together. 

Was it like walking into a house of terror at Halloween in the beginning? 

It was absurd

Sure! It was absurd.

Did my knees wobble and voice crackle?  

Yeppers. 

We were in this as one so on I went! 

Breathe in your first moment here. 

Did you have it?  

Hold it loosely, my friends.

The next turtles came together. 

Let’s go to the wooden turtle carved with simple lines on the left. 

I feel this turtle in my hand now. 

Can you? 

The idea that came with this turtle was kindness, generosity, family, hope for the future. 

There does not seem to be an element of absurdity there. 

Remembering is the piece here. 

How absurd is that? 

I tell you it is. 

That is the word that has come to mean a bazillion things. 

Hold on, is that even a word?  

Let’s go with it.  

There is hope with remembering.  Hope to remember the good, beautiful, kind, lovely, hopeful things in our world. 

The family and friends and ones who cross our path to make life 

The 

Best 

Thing

Ever. 

Bring in the good

Those who bring in the good at the very moment when what we see is dust and gray and gloom. 

Have you been there?  

Isn’t it the pits? 

This lovely carved turtle has brought simple pure memories of those who remember to smile and bring others small reminders that life is good. 

To hang in there.  Look up and look for hope each day. 

Aaahhhh. What goodness there is here. 

The moments came through building relationships, daring to get to know others outside our home. 

Going into new spaces and saying hello to those who may look like they know so very much more than I did. 

The mentors came in here. 

Are you the mentor now? 

How in the world did that happen, you may ask? 

Clear the dust. 

We can do this for each other.

Stay here and be here.  

Then show this to one more. 

Now, for the final tiny absurd idea.  

It is the best. 

Do you see the smallest turtle? 

It is made of seven seashells and came with the wooden one. 

Hey! 

How often is that how it goes? 

We come with someone who has been there and done that?  

Thanks for the diversion. Back to our turtles. 

It has tiny googly eyes that have been glued onto the front shell. 

Complete fun!

Are you ready for this part? The eyes wiggle when you gently shake this small turtle. 

The person who gave this to me knew it would make me, and others in our house, smile. Complete fun!

Being gentle is the key to this turtle. 

Enjoy the fun yet take care of it. 

There are times when the key to an absurd idea is also being gentle, actually. 

I need to remember these three turtles when I have ideas that I want to run full steam ahead with. 

Here’s the deal. 

What if we are all creating the next absurd idea?  That one more thing? 

Those movers, thinkers and mentors are us! 

Let’s stick out our necks together and get to the next idea that is beyond what some say is a good reason. 

Find a rhythm, have some fun, be gentle with each other.

What a lovely absurd idea.