Today I googled “how to deal with disappointment”. Don’t worry, I also googled “how to fix gnarly climber toenails” and “how to give yourself a haircut”.
Wait… maybe you should worry after all.
Anyway, googling doesn’t generally help my problems but it’s got me thinking about how my expectations are always so high and how reality is so often disappointing. I understand that my expectations are unrealistic, trust me, I do. But it’s hard to give up the part of myself that dreams and wishes so big and so wildly. Let me show you what I mean:
Expectation:
Romantic camping trip with your husband, in a fancy safari tent next to a waterfall surrounded by rocks for climbing. Days full of hiking, biking, and rock climbing, exploring cute small towns, delicious food, and beautiful nights under the stars.
Reality:
It rained. It was a muddy mess, the mosquitoes and the humidity were horrendous. Everything was damp and it was too sticky to sleep. It rained violently all morning. By the time you got around to hiking, the hike you picked was mediocre and your husband’s knee was hurting so bad he limped the whole way back. You didn’t hike again. You got up early the next day hoping to spend the day climbing. You get to the spot you picked out specially, and it was crowded. Your husband was miserable, tired, and hurting. By 1pm you just wanted it over, and left. You decide to go home early instead of staying your last night in your expensive safari tent.
I like to say that you either have a good experience or a good story. I’m not sure what this will turn out to be but I know that next time, my expectations will be just as high.
