Comments on: Lessons from 8,000 miles away… http://shankman.com/lessons-from-8000-miles-away/ Entrepreneur. Adventurist. Thu, 29 Jul 2010 13:45:58 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Agh Ost http://shankman.com/lessons-from-8000-miles-away/comment-page-1/#comment-7539 Agh Ost Fri, 06 Mar 2009 07:23:48 +0000 http://shankman.com/lessons-from-8000-miles-away/#comment-7539 And that same excited, enthusiastic girl could not have foreseen the subsequent adventures she experienced over the next 15 years in places as normal as New York, as oddly quiet as Charlotte, as familiar as the Bay Area, as surreal in New Delhi and Uruguay and Buenos Aires and New Zealand and Australia. And if she had any idea of where her life was going if she had gone back in time to that girl she would have said 'Do everything you're doing, that you're enjoying, and do it MORE." And being told of her future would not dissuade her from the fun or the foolish. It took place at a memorable time in a memorable place in a way that created decade long friendships, the kind that interweaves lives together in a most powerfully intimate and amusing way. You can always pull a life lesson or two out of a history like this to impress a potential employer. It takes real honesty to just admit you spent two years, having fun, living life, learning things on your time and in your own way, and that the lessons you took away from your time, so far away from home, living in that little colony consist of barely remembered street directions to the expat bar and the firm knowledge that the Star Ferry is always the right decision and - most importantly - that something significant and formative took place during those two years on a much deeper level - where everyone lucky enough to be included in the pack is still either a close and dear friend or at least accounted for today. From the 1.5 Jews in the pack, we became mesphucha: family. We are always there for each other emotionally, physically, mentally, financially. Memories, fun to recount when we get together "....and I came back from Thailand and she had BROKEN MY BED." but the stories we're interested in hearing and crafting now are the stories of our lives, as we live it, day by day. Can't feel melancholy over plans for the future - you can only be anticipatory either with hope or with dread, but you can't sigh over dreams of the past but shout towards the Future: I'm coming! Get Ready! Or not. You and they will figure it out once you get there. And that same excited, enthusiastic girl could not have foreseen the subsequent adventures she experienced over the next 15 years in places as normal as New York, as oddly quiet as Charlotte, as familiar as the Bay Area, as surreal in New Delhi and Uruguay and Buenos Aires and New Zealand and Australia. And if she had any idea of where her life was going if she had gone back in time to that girl she would have said ‘Do everything you’re doing, that you’re enjoying, and do it MORE.” And being told of her future would not dissuade her from the fun or the foolish. It took place at a memorable time in a memorable place in a way that created decade long friendships, the kind that interweaves lives together in a most powerfully intimate and amusing way. You can always pull a life lesson or two out of a history like this to impress a potential employer. It takes real honesty to just admit you spent two years, having fun, living life, learning things on your time and in your own way, and that the lessons you took away from your time, so far away from home, living in that little colony consist of barely remembered street directions to the expat bar and the firm knowledge that the Star Ferry is always the right decision and – most importantly – that something significant and formative took place during those two years on a much deeper level – where everyone lucky enough to be included in the pack is still either a close and dear friend or at least accounted for today. From the 1.5 Jews in the pack, we became mesphucha: family. We are always there for each other emotionally, physically, mentally, financially. Memories, fun to recount when we get together “….and I came back from Thailand and she had BROKEN MY BED.” but the stories we’re interested in hearing and crafting now are the stories of our lives, as we live it, day by day. Can’t feel melancholy over plans for the future – you can only be anticipatory either with hope or with dread, but you can’t sigh over dreams of the past but shout towards the Future: I’m coming! Get Ready! Or not. You and they will figure it out once you get there.

]]> By: Kathy Herrmann http://shankman.com/lessons-from-8000-miles-away/comment-page-1/#comment-7537 Kathy Herrmann Fri, 06 Mar 2009 02:43:20 +0000 http://shankman.com/lessons-from-8000-miles-away/#comment-7537 Peter - I'm glad you flagged this oldie but goodie of yours in Twitter today so that I could stumble upon it. Love the poetic introspection you showed. This bit really caught my attention: ** It was about living in the moment. It was about enjoying her time, and enjoying her life. Living for the second, not for what was supposed to happen sometime in the future. ** Times like these, I really need the reminder to focus on today rather than worry about what the future is going to bring, the state of the economy or whatever. Peter – I’m glad you flagged this oldie but goodie of yours in Twitter today so that I could stumble upon it. Love the poetic introspection you showed. This bit really caught my attention:

** It was about living in the moment. It was about enjoying her time, and enjoying her life. Living for the second, not for what was supposed to happen sometime in the future. **

Times like these, I really need the reminder to focus on today rather than worry about what the future is going to bring, the state of the economy or whatever.

]]> By: Bonnie Russell http://shankman.com/lessons-from-8000-miles-away/comment-page-1/#comment-3826 Bonnie Russell Tue, 10 Jun 2008 22:13:42 +0000 http://shankman.com/lessons-from-8000-miles-away/#comment-3826 This story reminds me of a guy who was about 50 who decided he couldn't finish college and become a psychologist; because by the time he was finished he would be 56. A friend of his looked squarely at him and said, "So what's the problem? That only means you'll be a 56 year old psychologist." In other words, I don't agree with the first poster. It's the journey towards the destination...that inspires one. The destination is an end point for one dream, but can open the door to another. Ergo, it's in the seeking that comes the peace and contentment. This story reminds me of a guy who was about 50 who decided he couldn’t finish college and become a psychologist; because by the time he was finished he would be 56.

A friend of his looked squarely at him and said,

“So what’s the problem? That only means you’ll be a 56 year old psychologist.”

In other words, I don’t agree with the first poster. It’s the journey towards the destination…that inspires one. The destination is an end point for one dream, but can open the door to another. Ergo, it’s in the seeking that comes the peace and contentment.

]]> By: Lara Kretler http://shankman.com/lessons-from-8000-miles-away/comment-page-1/#comment-3807 Lara Kretler Tue, 10 Jun 2008 17:49:30 +0000 http://shankman.com/lessons-from-8000-miles-away/#comment-3807 Peter, you of all people should know that it is indeed possible to live forever young. That's definitely the impression you left on me when I met you in Columbus, Ohio as you spoke at our PRSA luncheon - and it's the impression I still have after reading your blog and being an early HARO adopter. Don't miss the young and stupid days - just be glad you can still be young, and now smart too! Cheers - great blog post. Peter, you of all people should know that it is indeed possible to live forever young. That’s definitely the impression you left on me when I met you in Columbus, Ohio as you spoke at our PRSA luncheon – and it’s the impression I still have after reading your blog and being an early HARO adopter. Don’t miss the young and stupid days – just be glad you can still be young, and now smart too!
Cheers – great blog post.

]]> By: Marianne http://shankman.com/lessons-from-8000-miles-away/comment-page-1/#comment-3791 Marianne Tue, 10 Jun 2008 16:34:10 +0000 http://shankman.com/lessons-from-8000-miles-away/#comment-3791 It is never too late for anything you'd ever want to do. I, too, have regrets. I never quite learned to move past my regrets but I'm trying. I turned my life completely around and still learn lessons every day--always adapting, always taking in every breath. I know what you need. It's 1450 ft high and stands ever so grandly in the valley of Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland. You'll view the world, and your life, differently once you step off. Kudos on this article, Peter. :) It is never too late for anything you’d ever want to do. I, too, have regrets. I never quite learned to move past my regrets but I’m trying. I turned my life completely around and still learn lessons every day–always adapting, always taking in every breath. I know what you need. It’s 1450 ft high and stands ever so grandly in the valley of Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland. You’ll view the world, and your life, differently once you step off. Kudos on this article, Peter. :)

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