Below the Radar

Even though it’s January, the weather smells like spring. Gentle breezes, light rain and soft muddy trails make me dream a little of green things growing and I find myself opening out into the world. I suspect the cold and snow will make a comeback and I will return to hibernate by the wood stove. But tonight, after a slow jog at Oxbow Park, it’s back to our weekly routine at our downtown pub, Constant Spring. As mug club members for 2020, we receive our new beer mugs made by local potter, Cindy Cooper. We order and sip our drinks while catching up with ourselves. The holidays upended our routines. We come out of them mostly unscathed but with a lost sense of time. It’s a welcome relief to sit and catch our breath and recalibrate our lives.

Chad the bartender checks in. “Though I think I already know the answer, how are you doing?” I reply without thinking, “As long as we stay under the radar, we’ll be doing just fine.”  I glance at Jim. He nods. Then we both laugh and start talking at once. That is the story of our lives.

I am not a limelight seeker. I prefer to be in the shadows and watch the show from the sidelines while laboring away at the work that I love. That’s why I enjoyed running Rachel’s Bread all of those years. I happily mixed, kneaded and shaped back in the kitchen, away from the constant eye of customers. I find that I can contribute the best when I can work behind the scenes, letting others take the spotlight. We are often taught to reach for the stars. I’m just glad to have my feet on the earth. Some would argue that I’m not living to my full potential. I find that it allows me to work deeper and with less constraints than if I had a star to hold up.

For both Jim and I, our work is about doing the best we can, not about reaching the highest status or seeing the biggest return. Living below the radar allows us freedom from the lines so often drawn in our world. It gives us a solidity not based on an outwardly imposed benchmark. It offers a place to create apart from others’ expectations.

There is something to be said for plodding along every day, taking joy from the little things, and being at peace with not reaching that mountaintop.  Down here in the valley, the view is pretty amazing. Life unfolds with little fanfare or drama. In its simplicity, it offers unparalleled richness and I can soak it up since I’m not busy trekking up the mountain.

Away from the bright lights and the excitement and the show, I choose to live below the radar. There’s always room for one more here.