Let the Water Fall

I hope you had a wonderful Independence Day. Certainly with that opening sentence I could go into any and all things patriotic. And although I love this country and wouldn’t want to live anywhere else, I’m going to forgo the obvious subject and talk about my holiday weekend. If you live in Wisconsin (or perhaps most of the Midwest), you experienced a soggy 4th of July.
Our July 4th tradition involves my family, my mom and dad, and my brother and his family heading to my land in northern Wisconsin where we fix a few things, enjoy great conversation, and just hang out and catch up. The kids enjoy boating, jumping on the trampoline, playing Bocce ball, and jumping in and out of the inflatable baby pool.

Saturday was gorgeous but Sunday it rained. We began a new tradition this year. A few years back when I was camping in Michigan, I met an Eagle Scout who taught me how to cook a full turkey outside using charcoal. He made a Dutch oven out of rebar, chicken wire and aluminum foil. He was a regular MacGyver! Cooking a turkey this way creates the juiciest bird you ever tasted and a full 22 lb bird takes only about three hours to cook. The grand cookout was scheduled for rainy day Sunday. My first reaction was to skip it and take everyone to the bowling alley. My wife, Danica, however, stopped me and said, “So what if it rains? Cook the bird. A little rain is not going to alter our plans.”

As it turned out, we had a fantastic experience. The rain ended up being only a drizzle on and off for most of the day. My dad put together a makeshift roof over the Dutch oven using a tarp. We sat for three hours taking turns adding charcoal and watching the kids have a great time. The rain really began coming down at around three o’clock when the bird was done. We moved the picnic table into the garage and enjoyed our feast while watching the rain fall on our fields. It was amazing.

We too often allow the chance of rain to spoil our plans. The truth is if you let the rain fall you really only need to make slight revisions to your plans. The event often becomes more memorable and enjoyable. Life is full of rainy days. The rain represents challenges that are often not. Don’t be afraid of these challenges. Welcome them and you may discover a more memorable and exciting life.

Joe Kiedinger

ACTION PLAN: What was the last obstacle you overcame? Overcome one today!