I Will Follow

I visited New York with my brother recently.

Buried with work stress, I told him, “You’re in charge.  I need a break from decisions and timelines; I will just follow you.” We even agreed on a trip theme:  Meander.  We had no real schedule, no commitments.  Eat when we get hungry.  Stop when we are tired.  Watch people.

How did that go?  Not so well.

For three days, my brother set the pace, soaked in the city, and waited patiently for me to discover I was half a block ahead of him.  For three days, each time the gap between us increased, I heard “Meander!”  I don’t know how he didn’t just throw me off the top of 30 Rock.

I’m Type A.  I’m high-strung.  I’m accustomed to being at the front of the line.  I walk with purpose.  I know where I’m heading and I typically try to get there as efficiently as possible.  I am horrible to travel with.

If I had been with Moses in the desert, I would have been one of the complainers.  I would have been their leader.  “Um, Moses, dude?  Hand over the map.  There’s no map?  What do you mean there’s no map?  Where the *&^% are you taking us, then?”

It would not have been pretty.

Leadership is both a gift and a curse.  Underdeveloped or overapplied, it becomes a dichotomy.  It actually impedes progress.  Especially when I’m not the one that’s supposed to be in charge.

The weekend in New York ended well.  I settled down enough to relax, look around, even fall behind a couple times myself.

And my brother didn’t kill me.  Bonus!

Where You go, I’ll go.  Where you stay, I’ll stay.  
When you move, I’ll move.  I will follow.
Who You love, I’ll love.  How You serve, I’ll serve. 
If this live I lose, I will follow You.