a day well-spent...

I spent my whole day doing this.

Walking.

From 9:00am 'till 5:00pm I wandered the streets of downtown Vancouver from my hotel at Seymour and Pender to breakfast at the Yaletown Park Starbucks then down--via Beatty Walk--to the water and across the water on the Aquabus to Granville Island where I just sat for hours and hours watching the sailboats then got our favorite peach treat from the market and some wonderful organic fair trade coffee for the boat ride back to Yaletown.  I then walked uphill on Helmcken to Burrard and then down Burrard to the Chapters on Robson where I spent some more time with some boats--this time on paper--then walked Robson to Granville to Pender to my Hotel.

Checked my email.

Then walked Pender to Burrard and down to Canada Place then past the new 1 billion dollar convention center to the boardwalk where I sat for two hours watching the seaplanes take off and land and the boats come and go.  Then walked to my hotel, got my gear, and walked here--to the studio.

And all the while I walked and I sat and I thought and I talked to God.

I'm real thankful to have had today to do that.  See, we're finishing up the season of one of my TV series.  The series hasn't been renewed which amounts to a 'cancellation' which is like getting punched in the face.  Not fun.

I was really bummed out about it last week as I was writing segments for the last 90 episodes. My wife reminded me that I'm a 'starter' not a 'finisher'.  That doesn't mean I can't finish--'cause I have, several times in my life--but that I don't like to finish, that it doesn't give me 'life' per se. I get much more jazzed by coming up with ideas and facing down the challenge of creating something where once there was nothing.

Even when I left my Church--and it wasn't being 'cancelled'--I faced this same kind of deep sadness.

So, a day spent in the sunshine, walking and listening to God and breathing and readying myself for whatever's 'next' was a good way to spend a day.

Next time you're facing deep personal transition, take it from me, schedule a day off and go for a walk...

T