911, where were you?

I was driving to a friend’s house from Denver, Colorado to Northern Minnesota to meet up with another buddy of mine from Colorado. We were going bear hunting and wanted to stop by some friends before heading to Clearbrook, Minnesota. We both were hungry and Mark’s wife Tracy invited us to stay for breakfast. I wasn’t about to pass up pancakes and sausage.

Mark was asking George and me about our trip to Minnesota as we ate. It was a long drive for me as I pulled two ATV’s and hunting gear from Denver. I shared with Mark, Tracy and George how peaceful that drive was. The falls colors were just starting. The smell of fall was in the corn rows as I drove through Nebraska, Iowa and Minnesota. The wind pushed the grass back and forth along the highway. I love going through rural areas and seeing the outskirts of towns, where farmers in their pickup trucks had signs posted, fresh produce for sale! I would stop by a few of the produce stands on my way and buy fresh apples and butternut squash. I would talk with the farmers and we would share an apple and get to know each other in five minutes. I would be on my way and relish the joy of making a new friend.

My driving is healing for me; the scenic drive through the back roads of three states is comforting. You could see farms in the distance sitting on hilltops in every state. The endless rows of corn stretched for miles, never seeming to end. The winding creeks and rivers meandered through forests and prairies. The sunset I saw in Minnesota that day, was the most brilliant colors of reds, oranges, blue’s, and yellows I had ever seen. The evening clouds became living portraits of Gods creation.

When I arrived in Fosston at 11:30 PM, I was tried from my 20 hours on the road. The Swenson’s, my host family waited up for me. I knew George was already sleeping; he flew into Bemidji that afternoon. I went to bed, exhausted but feeling content about my drive. As I lay in bed, I knew that we would be hunting bear the next day.

The next morning I could hear George talking with Ron and Dede. I got up, got dressed and headed downstairs. George had ESPN on the television, and I was hoping to catch some news on the Minnesota Vikings. We watched the latest news about all the sports scores. It was about 10 AM when we headed over to Mark and Tracy’s for our pancake breakfast. After eating we would head to our hunting area.

I was playing some CD’s listening to some great classical music as we headed to the farm we were going to hunt at. We arrived about 1:30 that afternoon, unloaded our ATV’s off the trailer and loaded up our gear. George and I headed to our hunting spots on our ATV’s. I found my spot, walked over and sat down. I watched the birds saw some deer, but no bear. It was getting dark about 8:00 and I decided to call it a day. I met George at the truck; we loaded our gear, parked the ATV’s at the farm, and then headed back to Fosston.

We reached the host family where we were staying at about 10 PM; as we walked through the door, there were lots of people crying and everyone sat around the kitchen table watching the television. I looked around the room, and then asked, “What’s going on?” Dede looked at both George and I, and said, didn’t you hear, we are under attack from terrorists! George and I looked at each other in shock, they hit the Twin Towers and thousands are dead! I was stunned, I was overwhelmed, I was angry, and I wanted more information. I had no clue what had happened in New York! I was hunting, enjoying myself, not realizing that so many lost their lives in a terrorist act. I felt guilty about having fun in the woods, while others suffered and died.

We all suffered that day! Many have not gotten over what happened to our innocence on September 11th. Many live with the fear of another attack. People are afraid and don’t know what to do. How do you handle your fears? Do you avoid watching the news? Are you afraid of not knowing what tomorrow brings? How many of you still think about that day? On Mike’s blog, please share your stories of what you went through, your thoughts, and how your life was changed that day!

If you would like some help in dealing with the fears in your life, you can contact Dr. Mike at 303.456.0555, Life Coaching is done over the phone, so there is no reason to leave your home or office.

How does Life Coaching work? You’ll meet once a week, by phone, for a one-on-one conference, usually 45 minutes a session. In each phone conference you’ll plan and review, together, each of your “Focus Goals” and action areas. In each session, you’ll also receive support and guidance in creating the right attitudes and motivation in the area’s that you want to work on most. In addition to the weekly phone conferences, you’ll also communicate by e-mail, so you’ll have help and support throughout the week.

If you need more information about the Professional Accountability Partner Program, call 303.456.0555 or go to contact Mike link to set up a free consultation appointment. Dr. Mike’s website is www.applicablecoaching.com all calls are confidential and your privacy is protected. Check out Mike’s blog at: https://applicablecoaching.com/blog/ I always welcome your thoughts and comments on today’s coaching article. Mike is also available for speaking engagements.