Re-Entry Phase
I’ve been thinking about the early space program in which audiences held their breath as the space capsule re-entered the atmosphere. We worried and wondered whether the craft would safely return to Earth when communications were restored.
I vividly recall Walter Cronkite waiting breathlessly to get the signal from the “cap com” (capsule communicator) that the astronauts had successfully passed through the fiery re-entry phase and relief that the spacecraft heat shield had done its job, evidenced by its charcoal-seared surface.
That is precisely how I have been feeling as I re-emerge from “radio silence.”
Each step is becoming easier and more natural, but there are still “bumps” in my interactions and how I feel in the world.
For example, I went to a supermarket deli counter last week and ordered a half-pound of roast turkey breast. No brainer, right? The lady behind the counter looked at me and said, “How do you like it?”
I was stumped. “What do you mean,” I asked. She stared at me as though I was a dunce. “Thick or thin,” she replied, with some mild annoyance in her tone. Oh.
I find I am relearning the art of interacting and being with others. I am enjoying the contact and connection, but my skills and senses are rusty. I’m so eager to talk that I sometimes talk over others. Other times, I feel like I’m relearning the way—at the car wash, in the doctor’s office, at a restaurant.
This week, I read about a new podcast called “70 Over 70,” with interviews with notables and unknowns on “how to make the most of the time we have left.” I’m sure I’ll give it a listen, especially upcoming interviews with Dan Rather and Dionne Warwick.
But I question the positioning statement. We all have to make the most of the time we have, no matter what our age or attitude.
Yes, we must make the most of the time we have left—by picking up where we left off before our unplanned hiatus and interruptions.
How are you doing—and feeling—as you re-enter the world? Please respond in the comments section or in a guest post. Thanks!
