It all comes down to perception—and effort
Ah, June. We have a fresh, wide-open summer ahead filled with sunny days, warmer waters, and possibilities galore. If you’re like me, you’ve probably got way more ideas for summer fun than you can cram into three short months. Maybe this issue, with its theme of A Walk in the Park, will give you a few more…
One of my favourite CVC features is Elder Valley, where we invite someone over the age of 70 to contribute a brief essay related to the issue’s theme. I’ve found there are two main kinds of replies when I ask someone to write this. Some people are super-enthusiastic and send something within a day or two, while others tend to demur with “Oh, I couldn’t possibly do that.”
I’ve realized that these replies, like everyone’s responses to any situation, have a lot to do with perceived ease. For some, composing an essay is a quick and pleasurable task. For others, it’s an overwhelming challenge.
In this issue, we feature a wide range of people doing things that seem just about impossible to me. They include (but are not limited to) jumping off a cliff with a paraglider, opening a restaurant, hand-carving porcelain lamps, writing poetry in a new language, and inviting strangers to join you at an outdoor table to make art.
Yet the folks who do these activities derive great joy and meaning from them. They’ve put much time and practice into becoming good at what they do. And they’re finally at the point where they make it look easy from the outside.
I hope you find our summer stories as inspiring as I do. It may be helpful to remember that you have things that you, too, have mastered through concerted effort. You may not think twice about them, but someone else admires you for being able to do them. One person’s walk in the park is someone else’s bed of glowing, hot coals.
Maybe, as the saying goes, we’re all just swans—calm and graceful above the water, but paddling like hell underneath.
May your summer be spent in that sweet spot at the intersection of effort and ease.
