Insights Learning and Development Vancouver

A Day Like Any Other

(Inspired by the events of the Insights Annual Conference, Vancouver BC, December 5, 2011)

On a day like any other
she wakes to find her pillow changed
to a giant sea turtle
a gerbera daisy where her toothbrush usually waits
and a troupe of monkeys
making French toast in her kitchen.
“Never mind,” she thinks, “there will be breakfast at the conference,
this is a day like any other.”

On a day like any other
she rides the Skytrain to the Pan Pacific Hotel.
A bear in a bowler hat plays the ukulele at Waterfront Station.
She puts the daisy in his case with all the coins.

On a day like any other
they assemble under a sky made of diamonds
or icicles
or daydreams.
All she knows for sure is the food will be splendid
(this is Insights Vancouver, after all)
and the people will be splendid too.
The rest is a delicious mystery

Soon, she sees nametags and goodie bags
thumb drives
hamburgers
mouse pads.
She is invited to join the hunt
then they are UP and OFF
seeking similarity
trolling for opposite energy
scavenging stories of ultimate experiences
comparing tattoos
It is a day like any other, filled with promise.
It is a day like any other, filled with promise.

She gives herself to the luxury of looking forward
the buoyancy of big picture thinking
imagines the meaning of life encapsulated
in an awe-inspiring elevator pitch.
Outside, the sky is miles and miles of blue beyond blue.
The balloons of Bristol shine
even in the morning light
showing clearly
she can understand herself and others
even when she shines her one light
it’s crazy powerful lit up on that hillside
with all the others.
It is a day like any other, lit with possibility.
It is a day like any other, lit with possibility.

Balloon basket vantage points are the best
for getting a good look at big ideas
but sometimes
the coolest treasures are found
when you reach into a cracker barrel.
From this day on, when she thinks of
conscious and less conscious personae
she will think of a missing can of hairspray.
When she sees a colour mat on the floor
she will remember to enable courage
and get the fish on the table.
And she’ll always remember
how a plain piece of paper
folded into four
is state-of-the-art technology for effective communication.
It is a day like any other, grounded in understanding.
It is a day like any other, grounded in understanding.

On a day like any other
she is bursting with questions
which she now knows are good
like the good questions that help steer the process of change.
What if – like one of the leaders here
she woke up the morning of May 22
to a day of massive change –
would she handle the change with
confidence?
competence?
will she find the power to lead with such grace and groundedness?
It is a day like any other, honoured with curiosity.
It is a day like any other, honoured with curiosity.

Banks, restaurants, city governments
begin to look like greenhouses to her
discover the issues at the root
of the organization
and nurture these
to foster continuous improvement
take the micro to the macro
and feel the connectedness of it all.
It is a day like any other, charged with potential.
It is a day like any other, charged with potential.

It’s not a mystery
she knows this to be true
we are inspired to make a positive difference
in everything we do.
It is a day like any other, anchored in authenticity.
It is a day like any other, anchored in authenticity.

And now the good of it all is cascading up
cascading down
cascading outward from the middle.
Engagement is not a one way process
or even two
it’s multi-directional.
It is a day like any other, lifted with inspiration.
It is a day like any other, lifted with inspiration.

A day like any other
filled with promise
lit with possibility
grounded in understanding
honoured with curiosity
charged with potential
anchored in authenticity
lifted with inspiration.

She steps out into the cool clear night.
At Waterfront Station, the bear still plays his ukulele
the daisy
tucked into the band of his bowler hat.
She wonders if the monkeys in her kitchen
have begun cooking supper.
She is grateful for the magic of this day
a day like any other.

© Sue McIntyre 2011