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Learning How to Fall

When I first moved to Calgary, Alberta in July 2009 I found myself constantly looking up. 
Looking up at the skyscrapers. Looking up at the ski jump tower . Looking up at the mountains. It was as if I was looking at everything for the very first time. Shiny and brand new – life was being experienced with a renewed sense of wonder.

This past weekend I was in a taxi whizzing through the YYC downtown core. It wasn’t terribly late, and I wasn’t overly tired, but I leaned my head against the glass. My eyes lazily wandered between people and objects curbside and then suddenly — I looked up.
 
Realizing it had been ages, a smile made its way across my lips. 
 
The lights, the high buildings; the night sky speckled with stars – peaking through wherever it found space …. how had this simple pleasure ended up on the “risk of extinction” list? Why had I allowed it to?

It’s interesting how as human beings we can get so intently focused. We decide what we need to do, the blinders go up and we promise to stay the course. We make decisions; we make sacrifices, and when those dreams and goals blur the lines between impossible and possible – we put our heads down and push through.




I’ve said it time and time again, “There is no handbook for any of this!”
Throwing caution to the wind and flying by the seat of my pants (or head-first on a tea tray) have been the standard formula in my world for many years. And while I have never claimed to have all the answers, I do tend to need to learn everything the hard way.
From faking it to pseudo making it and beyond, I am hyper aware that despite how much life has already thrown at me – I haven’t even scratched the surface.  

That being said, I consider myself sincerely blessed to have some of the most incredible people helping me along the way. From the lifers to the brand new rookies “Team Cassie” can be a tough crew to roll with, so while these two words will certainly never be enough – Thank You – you all know who you are.


This summer has seen a great deal of change in plot. I’ve struggled and I’ve fell. I’ve got back up and I’ve even fallen again. The falling part can hurt, it can induce tears and even cause long, confusing bouts of uncertainty – but we all need to remember to keep looking up. 

Some might think it easiest to just present the life of an elite athlete as: “eat-sleep-train-repeat” but the truth is that we ALL struggle. These struggles can manifest themselves in an infinite number of ways; it’s irrelevant really. The fact is, that by going through these struggles, and if we pay close enough attention, we can discover a new level of strength from within ourselves.

Irish Author, Cecelia Ahern writes, “That’s the thing about lessons, you always learn them when you don’t expect them or want them.” and she couldn’t be more right.

So, yes – the pendulum of life will swing back, but it will undoubtedly swing forth. And while this endless motion pocesses the power to bring us to the edge …
                                                                      we’re never going to survive unless we get a little bit “crazy”.



2 Responses

  1. Great post, as always. I think that everyone has tough times of it, but it's what you do with those situations that makes who you are. You've chosen to use it as a catalyst to get you further ahead, which is both admirable and inspiring.

    Keep up the great work.