Doppelganger: An Apparition or Double

I traveled throughout the United States as a software trainer/consultant for over three years.  Many friends commented at how lucky I was to be on the road.  I can tell you... it was hard work and wasn't all fun!

I discovered that there are many challenges with business travel:  learning to pack and unpack quickly; protecting your home life; staying connected with family and friends on very limited time; and keeping track at connecting airports of whether you were coming or going!

Have you ever seen someone you thought you knew?
(Photo credit:  LAX Doppelganger - Julia Noonan)

One day I received a text from our VP of Sales asking if I was at LAX.  She was in Los Angeles, assumed I was on the road again, and thought she saw me at the airport.

I happened to be at home for a week before my next assignment, which I told her.  She sent me a photo of the person she thought was me:  "Your doppelganger," she said.  (I love the word, doppelganger, but had to look up its meaning: "an apparition or double of a living person.")

Looking at the photo, I couldn't see myself... and wondered what she saw that I couldn't see.

How clearly do we see our world?
(Photo:  Alaskan Reflections - Larry Gardepie)

Over the years I have wondered about how clearly I see the world:

• Mistaking people or their names;
• Misunderstanding what people are saying;
• Misidentifying problems and solutions.

We each have our own learned way of categorizing people, places, and things... as a friend or a foe; feeling safe or threatened; accepting or rejecting guidance and correction.

And, at times... maybe... we can admit that we see only an apparition or a double of what is Real!

Are we willing to deeply explore what we see?
(Photo: Mirrored Reflections - Larry Gardepie)

Through curiosity and dialogue, I am trying to go deeper:  to listen for what I don't understand; to ask questions where answers are unknown; and to accept that I have made a mistake.  The importance -- for me -- of curiosity and dialogue is the ability to
continue learning:

• I may not have all of the facts.
• I might have missed what was important to that person.
  
• I must become comfortable with mystery and not knowing.

As we look at ourselves in the mirror this week, let's expect to see someone for the first time!

Larry Gardepie

Dialogue San Diego Consulting

(click on link for website)

 

 

Beauty and Our Beast

A few weeks ago  we were traveling on the Alaska Railroad from Anchorage to Denali National Park.  The morning began rainy, cloudy, and cold.  Being in the comfort of the domed car we were fed with Beauty Changing at every mile as clouds gave way to fall foliage and clear views of the Denali mountain range.

We were a diverse group of travelers from around the world, wearing masks or not, carrying unknown companions of COVID-19, colds, coughs, biases and misunderstandings.  Locked in our train carriage for 8 hours allowed us to slowly observe, ask questions, and share in the sights unveiled along the way.

How often do you see the beauty around you?
(Photo:  Alaskan landscape, Larry Gardepie 2022)

Yes, we were in our own world -- that of the train car and that of our own making.  But we were sharing Time and Beauty as we discovered together new Frontiers Revealed.  Sitting with these pictures today, I am seeing details that I missed in those few fleeting moments as the train passed the wilderness outside.

A guide narrated where we were and interpreted what we were seeing.  This helped us track on a map how far we had traveled, how far we still needed to go, and the unusual clarity of this Fall day.

As we pass quickly through this life,
are we aware of the changes in ourselves and others?
(Photo: Denali mountain range with fall foliage,
Larry Gardepie 2022)

The Denali mountain range at first was a mystery: were we seeing clouds behind a darker mountain range?  The guide helped our eyes and minds to understand the majestic heights of Denali as it towered over the smaller peaks and rivers below.  With excitement and awe, she explained that many people never see Denali because of the weather it creates and hides behind; that only 30% will see Denali with clouds; and that we were members of the 10% Club, seeing Denali clearly without clouds.

Along our privileged day-long journey, we moved from not seeing... to seeing partially... and then seeing with clarity.

Do we see clearly what is before us?
(Photo:  Denaili mountain range with no clouds,
Larry Gardepie 2022)

I believe Dialogue is similar: when we slow down our fast-paced lives and allow humility and curiosity to guide us, we begin to seek answers to questions that alluded us.  Together, we share where we are and decide where we need to go:

• We move from Beasts Unknown that hide and protect us;
• Through assumptions and opinions that cloud what we see; and,
• Arrive at clarity based on the facts before us.

In other words, sometimes we need to be locked together in the struggles of this world to appreciate Our Beasts and Our Beauty.

May you see the beauty of each person this week as the World's Beasts and Beauty reveals itself.
 

Larry Gardepie

Dialogue San Diego Consulting

(click on link for website)