I read a news story some time ago about a little girl named Annabelle. It was a heart-warming story of a little underdog overcoming the odds to achieve a goal. This 4-year-old woke up in the middle of the night with a hankering for a Slushie. What did she do? She got on a bus and headed to the convenient store to get a Slushie. Of course, a 4-year-old on a public bus at 3 AM surely does grab the attention of folks, and fortunately, it grabbed the attention of good, kind folks who watched over her and asked her what she was doing on the bus. Never being one to take her eye off of the prize, Annabelle just replied to them, “All I want is a Slushie.”
You have to hand it to her, the girl has focus and drive. When I look back on my life, I wonder if I might have done the same thing had I had access to public transportation. When you live in a rural-ish area, it’s not as easy to get that Slushie fix in the middle of the night, especially when one is 4-years-old. I can’t help but think that given the right circumstances, that could have been me.
On a more philosophical note, how many times do we let obstacles get in the way of the things that we want? I’m not talking about the hedonistic things, but the things that would make our lives more purposeful and meaningful. How often do e-mails, facebook browsing, dirty dishes, other people, and “insert your responsibility here” become excuses for not pursuing greater things?
These are questions that I’ve been asking myself lately. I have no clear answers to cut the clutter and focus on higher things besides sometimes you just have to do it. Like Annabelle, if you want a Slushie, even if it’s in the wee hours of the morning, you have to use your resources and just get a Slushie.
If you want to read the news story on Annabelle and her Slushie search, go here.
