Yesterday I received a surprise in the mail. It was a tiny pocket sized book called Back To Joy that was compiled by author June Cotner. It contains tidbits of wisdom from the likes of Anne Lamott, John Welwood, Winston Churchill, Helen Keller, Rachel Carson, Og Mandino and someone else who is grateful to be in such fine company.  I had forgotten that I had sent in a contribution to the book until I opened to page 81 and saw these words.

“I had gotten on the elevator, intending to go to the 4th floor. Instead, it headed for the basement. There were two others with me. One said. “Sometimes you need to go down to go up,” and the other said “At least you’re on the elevator.”

Pretty wise commentary.  At the time, if memory serves, I was facing many ‘elevator rides,’ during which my life felt like someone had pushed all of the buttons at once and I needed to stop at each floor and see what was there when the doors slid open. Sometimes they all looked the same and other times, I wondered what planet I was on.  These days, I feel like I have a bit more control over who pushes my buttons. I decide whether to walk through the portal when the bell rings. I choose who rides the conveyance with me. Sometimes it seems like I am riding on the Wonkavator,; the glass elevator manned by Willy Wonka, that can go backward and forward, slantways and sideways and even through the roof of any confining space I may find myself in. It is only as limited as my ‘pure imagination’ allows it to be.

There is the temptation to keep pushing the button to call the elevator, in impatience. Once we press it, it has already been called to fetch us. What if I choose not to climb on board and remain on the ground floor?  I have experienced fear of symbolically entering what could seemed like a confined space, imagining what could happen if I couldn’t exit when I wanted to. Taking the stairs seems safer, since I get to decide whether I ascend or descend on my schedule. Maybe that’s where the ‘God thing’ comes into play. Trusting that this is really about spiritual ‘upliftment’.  Guess I’d better get on the elevator.

www.junecotner.com