When you click the “play” button in the brief video clip, you’ll see two mourning doves on top of the security gate where we live. The ride is fairly smooth, but even in the slightly bumpy parts, the birds stay on.
I feel fortunate to have captured their seemingly effortless balance on camera, and I’m fascinated that they remained unruffled by my presence.
And while most of us don’t ride gate tops, we do balance multiple things simultaneously: career, family, home, relationships…
Do you remain cool, calm, and collected during the bumpy parts of the ride?
Tuesdays with Laurie 
That is so much fun! You see? As writers/bloggers, we are trained to notice things like doves balancing on a gate. And even more, we are then trained to write about it, and to find a metaphor. Yes, I feel like I remain calm cool and collected during a bumpy life-issue ride. At my age, I’ve had plenty of practice! Yoga and meditation helps, and love, lots and lots of love helps weather the bumps.
Pam — yoga, meditation, and lots and lots of love to help weather the bumps. Amen, siSTAR! 🙂
I think you learn to remain calm through the bumpy parts of life otherwise you will drive yourself nuts if you don’t.
Garym6059 — Yes, indeed!
I love roughwighting’s comment above about writers notice things and using them as metaphors. And you are very good at it, Laurie. (Also, the little glimpse of your property is lovely.)
I’m generally a calm person, and there are family members who call me to calm them down or diffuse things, but I guess it depends on the situation and what is causing the bumpy ride. 😉
Merril — To be called upon for your calming influence says a LOT about you. Further, it’s a tremendous compliment from your family regarding trust.
Thanks, Laurie. That’s very sweet.
Great video! So quiet and smooth. I like the fact that the birds are doves, the symbols of peace.
I have had many reactions to the bumps in my life. Sometimes I’ve been calm through paralysis. Other times I had tremendous energy and overcame problems with hard work. I’ve also been anxious and even depressed a few times. Usually, I can stay calm when I know I am helping someone else and that he or she needs my calm. Off to yoga! 🙂
Shirley — In my perspective, the act of remaining calm is a tremendous gift to those in your immediate sphere of influence. My hat is off to YOU 🙂
Hi Laurie
Not nearly so frequently as I would like, and more frequently than many around me.
And I keep practising 😉
Howard — I can truthfully say “ditto” to your statement. I work at cultivating calm, but it eludes me on occasion (sometimes when I need it the most)…
Yep – aint that the truth!!!
What’s interesting is that the backward movement (opening the gate) didn’t cause them to move, since animals don’t go backwards, always forward and they make it appear as though they do this all the time. Thank you for sharing this, I’m still giggling.
Bumpy rides are part of life, aren’t they? It reminds me of the lyrics to a popular song, ‘Things Happen…that’s all they ever do’. When I was much younger, I learned to transcend the bumps by developing problem solving skills, taking responsibility, keeping things in perspective and using these opportunities to teach my children how to be flexible.
Hi Laura
Actually, lots of animals go backwards, and some don’t. Tuna fish don’t go backwards, and barracuda and eels have very efficient reverse gears. Most dogs don’t like going backwards, and they will if given no other option. Ferrets and their ilk are amazing at going backwards. I once watched two ferrets raiding a hen-house by one grabbing an egg and rolling on its back, while the other one gripped it by the tail and they both went backwards out to a culvert under the road, where they consumed the egg.
Thank you for your insight, I stand corrected. I live with geese, turkeys and chickens, although I’ve seen the turkeys turn in a circle before, not the others. 🙂
Laura — I love that you leverage the bumpy opportunities to teach your children how to be flexible. That’s commendable!
I’ve taken a walk, now I’m sitting in my writing chair. I’ll have a nutritious lunch, but then a bite of chocolate. More writing, then Pilates. As always, today I seek balance. Life is good!
What a striking video. Others have commented about the view of your property, the birds as doves of peace, and your metaphorical use of nature in finding wisdom. What I want to know is how that gate opened. I suspect an accomplice in Len – or maybe it’s automatic. I imagine you’ll tell me here, Laurie.
Marian — At the very, very end, you can see a tiny portion of our truck in the driveway’s entrance. When we pulled in and I saw the doves, I hopped out with my iPhone and asked Len to open the gate (with the remote, like for a garage door), and then close it once I stepped in. He’s a great accomplice 🙂
Impressive! 😉
Wow that really is wonderful to see.
Lcappe — I’m glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Thinking I am the welcoming committee keeps me composed too 🙂
Val — Great perspective!
How balanced I stay depends on the bump, I think. Speed bumps do not create unbalance, but a roller coaster can.
Carol — I can relate. The speed at which I’m going and the size of the bump have a great deal to do with my reaction: cool, calm, and collected, or all-out ballistic 🙂
Balance has always been my goal. Like everything else in life, sometimes I’ve got it, sometimes I don’t. I’m usually calm, cool, and collected with the bumps until afterwards when I sometimes fall apart.
Joan — Like you, I’m the epitome of calm in a full-on emergency (i.e., happening on the scene of an accident). Afterwards, is another story. I melt into a puddle of shakes and sobs.
Laurie, I love your nasturtiums. have you tried eating any of the flowers? If you know they haven’t been sprayed with any chemicals, they make a great addition to salads, mildly peppery like watercress. I tend to keep my head when the ride gets bumpy. If I’m gonna get thrown I want to have a good landing place already in sight. It’s not until later that I get the “shakes”, while I’m riding the adrenaline rush I can stay sharply focused, afterwards I have the luxury of falling apart.
Sandi — We haven’t tried eating the nasturtiums (yet). Although maybe we’ll give it a go in this evening’s salad.
I love the way you phrased, “I have the luxury of falling apart” after a rather bumpy ride. I also like that even in the midst of the whole thing, you’ve got an eye out for a good landing spot! 🙂
As you know, I love mourning doves – what a sweet video! They seem to be quietly welcoming you home. When I get overwhelmed and overstimulated I have great difficulty remaining cool, calm, and collected. I tend to retreat and shut down…
Barbara — I wish I would retreat and shut down. Unfortunately, when I’m in a place of total overwhelm, I go berserk. With all my might I try not to, but then I implode.
I’ve found that the older I’ve gotten the more balanced I’ve become.
I think I’ve finally learned that I don’t have to do everything well- if at all.
I can enjoy my day even if my house isn’t perfectly clean! What a gift!
Sylvia — yes, Yes, YES! I especially like the “if at all” part 🙂
Wish I did and most of the time I do okay, but… This spring and early summer was a really crazy difficult time here at the lake with flooding, some major changes and lots of gossip. I tried to stay out of the mess but didn’t do a very good job. I was so glad when things finally started to settle down, but I’m still working on getting myself back in balance. I really wish balance were a once and a for all type of thing where once we get there we stay. Unfortunately it’s more like walking a balance beam where we have to make small, gradual changes and shifts to stay on the beam. Hard as I try, I do still tend to fall off from time to time. 🙂
Espirational — You’ve described it PERFECTLY!
Espirational, you got that right. Funny, before even reading this post, I blogged on the same theme in my Only Child Writes blog http://www.onlychildwrites.wordpress.com. And also funny, my nasturtiums are in bloom too – well, just starting. Like me, they are behind this summer. But I still enjoy my garden.
Oh, Laurie, I try. : )
Seeking balance and honouring my emotions
Leanne – I love that you honor your emotions!
Oh my god I flip . I am a drama queen . I go to pieces . I do everything wrong in a crisis . I do yoga , meditation the lot . Hey Laurie did you check out Dru yoga ? . I think it was you I talking to about it . If not eg ore me . Love the birds .
Cherryx
Cherry — Your “drama queen” comment made me laugh. I have, indeed, been checking out Dru Yoga. And while it’s hot, Hot, HOT in the UK, it appears us folks on the other side of “the pond” have a bit of catching up to do 🙂
Not usually and certainly not as unflappably as those birds.
Debyemm — I was incredibly impressed with their un-flap-a-ability! I’d like a dose of what they’re having, please 🙂
Nice video. Sometimes I remain very cool and collected (surprisingly so!) Other times, totally fall apart. Sometimes only partly fall apart. It is a balancing act. So many different parts of ourselves that want different things at different times. It seems like kindness goes a long way as a balm, both inward and outward.
Kathy — I absolutely agree that Intentional (or incidental) KINDNESS goes a tremendously long way as a soothing, healing balm. I love your wisdom in “both INward and OUTward.”
Love the doves on the gate. I have a pair of doves in Little One’s story. I am surprised that you need a security gate where you live.
Marquette — I can well imagine that the pair of doves in Little One’s story add a tremendous amount to the storyline.
You’re absolutely right that the Warm Springs historic district of Boise is safe and sound. However, the security gate comes part and parcel with living in the carriage house of the Russell Mansion 🙂
Wow! that sounds so interesting….living in a carriage house of a mansion! I have often thought about what that might be like. Such carriage houses can be interesting and awesome.
Ann – It’s itty-bitty (600 square feet). Perfect for our minimalist lifestyle 🙂
I bet it is adorable 🙂
Here’s a link to a post with two photos that show views from my office window: https://tuesdayswithlaurie.com/2014/08/05/carriage-house-journal/
What a beautiful video. And the birds most definitely act as the receptionists welcoming you home. You could easily add music free from the youtube choices of music and have a hit for us to share. I just love it. For balance I have to take B-. It’s the only vitamin that handles the overwhelm. I know that with vitamin e is a good balance. When I don’t know what I am hungry for I take Vitamin C and can tell within minutes what I would like to eat. That is kinda weird but works for me. I’ve found niacin to be good for energy when I do work out but only take that once in a while or if I feel I’ve been at the computer screen too long. My biggest balancing act is just taking a walk daily and enjoying objects in the environment.
Kathy — I love that you listen to your body and know what vitamins to take, when!
Enjoyed your video. Sorry to be a day late commenting yesterday was jam packed. I noticed that the fence the birds were on was thick and heavy (especially relative to the birds size) and the speed was somewhat slow and steady. It is a good metaphor for my response to balance. If I’m in place where I feel relatively safe and the change comes at a rate that I can slowly adjust to (watched one of the birds adjust her wings) I can more easily center. I’m thinking about a place we both worked at where my team knew for a year when we would be downsized . A year to adjust, teammates who made a.shared decision to both give our best and support each other (safety) and time (slow gate movement) made a difficult and unsettling period although hard a place of balance. Compared to driving when some unthinking driver turns into ones lane all to fast and unexpectedly causing me to hit the brakes, heart pace escalates, and expletives fly from my mouth. Sometimes I can catch the expletives but staying calm and balanced much harder for me.
Audrey — I love the experiential example you used. Perfect!
How I wish I could! Although to be fair, only last week I managed not to scream when driving along very narrow, windy and dangerous road on the Gorges du Verdon, the highest gorges in Europe. Blogue to follow in due course… 😉
FatimaSaySell — I’m very much looking forward to reading the up-and-coming blog post!
Thank you, Laurie. 🙂
I love the way you think 🙂
Pam – Thank you. and happy birthday!
Great video! And to tell the truth, I’m not always successful to remain calm during the bumpy parts of the ride. Two steps forward, one step back…working on it 🙂
Tiny – Me to, Too, TWO! 🙂
I have my moments lol but overall yes. ..very calm and collected!
EuropasIceWolf — Yaaaaaaay! 🙂
“Do you remain cool, calm, and collected during the bumpy parts of the ride?”
NO 🙂
Bert – Me either 🙂
🙂
Fabulous lead in Laurie! Love the morning doves on the swinging gate and the slow moving zoom. Well, I’d say sometimes I am and sometimes I am not. Preety much like the weather. But without question your therapy is certainly the correct one. 🙂
Another classic post.
Sam – I simply couldn’t believe it when the doves didn’t up and fly away! Have a fantastic weekend 🙂
“cool, calm, and collected’ Very elusive for me but I try not to cave in and work matters to resolution.
Carl — “…and work matters to resolution.” Excellent! 🙂
What a wonderful post, and blog you write on a regular basis Laurie! I can see why people are drawn to this insightful space. Balance is always a great topic. Remaining calm, cool and collected in all situations is a great way of life to aspire to. 🙂
HelpWithYourLife — I’m glad you enjoy reading Tuesdays With Laurie. Thank you for letting me know 🙂