Out of Chaos an organizing newsletter
Flying
I’ve had a song on my mind. It’s an oldie, but you might know it: “The Daring Young Man on the Flying Trapeze.” It was sung by Eddie Cantor and my mom used to sing it to me and my sister when we were growing up. I always thought it was about a girl, because that’s how my mother sang it to me: She flies through the air with the greatest of ease, the daring young girl on the flying trapeze.
I’ve had so much going on lately that I feel like I’m flying, so I’ve come up with a new variation: She flies through the air by the seat of her pants. I spend a lot of energy trying not to do things by the seat of my pants, trying to be methodical, organized and on top of things, but as I’ve gotten older, I also realize that I want to say “yes” more; I want to lean in to my big, crazy life, not stay at a distance and stingily dole out my time and attention.
If I’m honest, what I’m really afraid of is doing things badly, or even just imperfectly: I’m afraid people will not be impressed. Ridiculous, I know. These things aren’t brain surgery; no one is going to die if the PTA table at back-to-school night doesn’t run like a Swiss watch. Sometimes in life, you do get points for just showing up and trying. So, I’m flying through the air by the seat of my pants, but at least I’m flying—not sitting on the sidelines, and that feels good.