Time to sharpen our skates?

Before Wayne Gretzky joined the NHL, the patch of ice behind the net was a free flow zone. Gretzky turned it into his ‘office’ by making it a destination from which to quarterback a dangerous team attack.

With his natural creative instincts, Wayne Gretzky changed the game forever.

How many of us perform our jobs the way we were taught? Or worse, how many of us do it the same way it was done by the person who was there before us? How often do you schedule time to step away from the computer and the phone and just think about how you could change the approach you take to your job? Once a week? Once a month? Ever?

By not making (and keeping) an appointment to challenge the status quo, you could be depriving yourself of an opportunity to make the job more compatible with your natural skills, therefore – more enjoyable for you as well as more productive for your company.

It’s not only about finding the right position on the team; it’s about putting your own signature on the position.

Saba's Story

I’ve been struggling with the opening line of this story because it really touched me and I wanted to do it justice. 

At one point I was going to highlight my story with the juxtaposition of teens sporting meaningless tattoos, more concerned with fitting in than making a statement. 

After that idea was scrapped, I researched the historical significance of the Peacock according to Hinduism in the hopes of finding a natural bridge to the story, but it seemed a little contrived. 

So I settled on this. 

I would like to tell you a story. 

It’s a simple story of love and creativity, so I will tell it simply. My son has a friend named Saba, a confident young lady who makes eye contact and conversation easily. Recently, Saba was at our house when my son hosted a birthday party for a friend and I noticed that she sported a tattoo of a Peacock feather on her back, beneath her left shoulder.

I meant to ask, but got caught up in another conversation and didn’t pursue it. Fortunately, my wife Jill took the time to explore the history of Saba’s tattoo and uncovered an incredibly touching story. 

When Saba was a little girl, one of her best friends was her grandpa Al, or as she called him... ‘Baba’. Al was a simple man with a contagious smile who probably never thought of himself as being clever. He worked hard as a young man, and now as a grandfather his greatest pleasure was spending time with his granddaughter. Baba used to take Saba for walks in the park, treasured times for both of them but especially for Saba because on many of these journeys they would find a Peacock feather. Saba loved the brilliantly coloured feathers and was always amazed at their continued good fortune. 

Throughout Saba’s early childhood, her grandparents cared for her while her parents were working and her relationship with her Baba continued to flourish. Today, as a young adult, Saba considers grandpa Al to be the single most influential person in her life. High praise indeed for a grandfather to have played such a role. 

When she was in her early teens Saba made a discovery that revealed something else about her grandfather. Saba discovered that in the area in which she grew up, there were no Peacocks. 

Before Baba would appear for one of their cherished walks, he would go to the store and buy a Peacock feather. Then he would meticulously hide it along the route for Saba to ‘find’. 

It was an enchanting game for him, and it became a magical, unforgettable memory for her. 

Baba passed away some years ago, but he was still alive and well when Saba made this discovery. She was able to thank him in person for creating those memories although I suspect she had already given him the greatest gifts he could receive. Every giggle of uncontrolled delight and every expression of wide-eyed wonderment were no doubt precious snapshots that Al reflected back on fondly and often. 

 Without knowing it, Baba’s simple gesture of love and creativity forged a relationship that would never be forgotten and shaped a life that would forever be a tribute to him.

Thank you, Saba for letting me share your story. 

Daryl