SURPRISE!

Do you like surprises?  I don’t.  I actually hate surprises.  I don’t even like good surprises, which I’ll get to in a minute.  I suppose it’s due to my career in sales.  

Salespeople receive good surprises from time to time; a compliment from a customer; a “bluebird” lead that is easy to close; a little extra recognition from their manager.  Most salespeople aren’t surprised with their commissions – we know what it took to earn those.  We also know what it takes to earn President’s Club trips so that can’t really be classified as a good surprise. 

On the other hand, salespeople are impacted by bad surprises all the time; changes to commission plans or territories; quota increases; hearing we lost a deal to a competitor; receiving a complaint from a disgruntled customer… In my profession there are simply more bad surprises than good. 

So I have become hardened to surprises now, even good surprises.  

Now don’t get me wrong… I am easily awed by life’s miracles.  I am continuously amazed by many, many things – how smart our younger generations are; journeys to the Moon, Mars, and beyond; how people operate their homes and their vehicles from their smart phones.  

We live in an age of surprising, actually astonishing, accomplishments.  I believe in the power and awe of miracles without explanation as offered by Claus Westermann in his book Elements of Old Testament Theology ©: 

… astonishment is one of the essential characteristics of the experience of miracles.  Astonishment necessarily contains a moment of incomprehensibility within itself.  A miracle which is explained is no longer a miracle. 

But when it comes to me, I’d rather I not be the object of astonishment. 

My wife knows my aversion to surprises.  We hosted a Halloween costume party many years ago.  I love Halloween.  When we first moved to Denver, I made our garage into a haunted house the trick or treaters could go through and at the end pick up a little candy from me.  Yes, I was in full costume as well.  But I digress… 

When my wife suggested we have a Halloween costumer party for our friends it was no surprise that I was in!  I went to Reinke Bros in Littleton to get fully decked out as Batman.  Check ‘em out https://www.reinkebrothers.com/store/ 

I was having a great time at our party.  Everyone put in an extra effort with their costumes; everyone was enjoying food, beverage and friendship.  Once everyone had arrived and we were all gathered in our basement (aptly decorated for the occasion as well), that’s when I noticed it.  

At first I thought it was just coincidental, but as I studied each of my friend’s costume the pattern was undeniable – everyone was dressed in an old person’s costume.  I mentioned my observation to my wife (also dressed up as a craggy old witch) and as if that was some signal she and all shouted out SURPRISE!  Happy Birthday!  

Unbeknownst to me, my wife had arranged a surprise 50th birthday party for me on Halloween.  My birthday is in February. 

After all the festivities; birthday cake (Halloween themed, of course); and fun.  After our friends departed and we cleaned things up.  I gave wife a big hug and kiss and thanked her for such a fun party.  And then I looked into her eyes and softly but clearly said, “Don’t EVER pull a blankety blankety blank blank surprise like that again.”  

I hate surprises. 

GAP 

When life gets tough we could get a helmet… or… we could leverage the peace and share the power of a positive perspective.