Is there a mermaid on your basket?

Did you know Phoenix, Arizona, is just four hours from a sandy beach by the sea? Of course you did, because you all memorized the placement of lines on the map in your sixth grade social studies classes while I was more intrigued by the fact that I could bring the map to life via a new set of colored pencils with a built-in stand! But I digress. Back to the beach…

We finally made our way to Puerto Penasco, Mexico, last week for fall break fun with two of our children and some extra teenagers. Arizonans refer to Puerto Penasco as “Rocky Point” (because, guess what, that’s what a puerto penasco is!) and it is a favorite vacation, or long-weekend destination for folks around here.

I loved the beach activities. I especially loved the vendors. Maybe it goes back to my love of fairs, but I believe the dedication it takes to be in sales takes on whole new meaning when you’re carrying your inventory with you and trying to engage strangers who want little or nothing to do with you.

The basket and hat vendor was one of my favorites. And, I’m proud to say that one of his baskets was my first purchase made on the beach. What I’m not so proud of is that I chose something that is as far removed from my normal taste as…well, I won’t say, because maybe whatever I mention next is your favorite objet d’art and there I’ll be offending you without meaning, too. And actually, I’m becoming rather fond of this basket.

The thing is, as I was making the purchase, I didn’t see the mermaid. Or the fish.

What?!–you ask incredulously—and then you begin to speculate about what I was drinking while on the beach. Water and green tea, mostly, and the thing was, the basket was very close to me. The man was showing me all the detail and how well the lid was stitched on…and I was commenting on the craftsmanship (which is really great, by the way). I was sitting in the sand and looking up at it most of the time. It wasn’t until hours later that I saw her—the Marge Simpsonesque mermaid surrounded by fish—and the image is identical on the other side.

How many mermaids are there in your life that you’re just not allowing yourself to see? How convinced are you that your perspective is accurate all the time? When was the last time you let yourself step back; breathe; take another look from a different point of view?

I am doing a bit of that myself right now—a professional assessment as to what I really mean to do with my business and my life so that I’m not weaving in mermaids unaware.

From now on, I won’t use the idiom, there’s an elephant in the room. Nope, for me, it’s all about the mermaid on the basket.

In every life lesson, goodness grows.

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