Different perspectives – lessons at the vending machine

Running on Sunday was part of my weekly routine, and just as my body craved the movement it also felt reluctant, heavy and slow – and this was even before I had set off! Maybe it was due to the equivalent of 5 aqua aerobic sessions whilst playing with the kids at the pool in the morning – that whirlpool is deceiving (gently floating on the surface but lots of moving legs underneath!)…and it sucks you right back in again as you try and break free! Anyway, more on the pool shenanigans later. I just wasn’t 100% feeling up to my usual Sunday session.

So what I did was run a different way. No, not backwards or with comedy legs, I mean I ran a different way round my track. Instead of fearing the not-up-to-standard pace (set by my own competition master in my own head), I gave my brain a break, and went the other way round. Non-comparable.

And you know what happened? I parked the car in a different street, I started my playlist on a different track, I ran up not down and down not up in certain parts, and I saw different things. I felt different things. I am different for it. Plus despite relieving my brain from coaching duties, it actually had a good workout…instead of knowing what to expect and taking things for granted, it was kept in its toes and made new pathways, as I did with my real toes in my running shoes.

The photo would not have been taken had I gone the usual way. It was perfect. Stripes from blocks. A different perspective.

Now back to the swimming pool. Oh my. We had a vending machine moment. Four hungry children, two tired mums, and a machine that in hindsight was very similar to my reluctant body before the jog. Three packets of Skittles and one Dairy Milk bar was the order. Easy.

• Card tap. Done.
• Now what’s the code for Skittles? E what? Oh the one without a proper label. Great.
• Let’s guess E9.
• Now it says card not working.
• Should I press E9 before tapping, or after?
• It’s thinking…oh it’s declining.
• Fine, cash it is.
• $20 in. $20 out.
• Noooooo! It doesn’t take $20 notes.
• $5 in. $5 out. Huh?
• Not wanting the plastic money. This machine wants metal.
• Coins in. And out. And in and out, repeat 27 times…very fussy.
• Yesssss, we made it to the first packet Skittles. Success.
• We got another packet. E9 you legend. Half the field are happy.
• Now we switch to chocolate. Easy. Done.
• And now back to E9.
• It whirrs. It twirls. It stops. It stops!!!! Nooooooo! The Skittles are stuck!
• We bang, we tilt, we fear alarms and security.
• The Skittle-less child is crying.
• We find more metal. In out in out.
• We press E beeping 9. It whirrs. It twirls. It drops the stuck packet…but leaves this new one hanging!!!

We cannot cope. We seriously did not need that. We laugh. We could’ve cried. We had a different perspective. That was our super power in that moment.

My daughter cried. In time she will learn to laugh at such frustrations. She needs to learn perspective and I think the only way is with more life experiences. Plus we need to know ourselves first, and that takes maturity, an awareness of ourselves and an understanding of the bigger picture. And that develops from vending machine mayhem, the little moments that teach us so much about ourselves, and others. And also that sweet treats can certainly help 😉

Love Stripes and Trees xxx