I met a man who claims Tom Hanks as a pen pal. This means he’s the coolest man I’ve ever met. And what he, Tom Hanks, and I have in common is that we love typewriters (Hanks has a collection of over 200). I’d also argue that the three of us also dream of a world where we can slow down and take our time.
My grandmother’s black Royal typewriter was a fixture on her desk throughout my childhood and it led me to Tom Hanks’ pen pal. She left it to me after her passing. It’s one of my most prized possessions. I’ve had it sitting on a bookshelf as a display piece for years. Then, one day, I had an urge to use it. I’ve been craving moments in my life that aren’t derailed by the distraction of technology. The typewriter was staring at me telling me it could deliver. It didn’t need an internet connection. It didn’t even need electricity. It’s as analog as a pen and paper. Like all things created before the technology we’re used to today, it has lasting power. And, through the power of today’s technology, my husband discovered this wonderful typewriter repair man on Google and we took my typewriter to him. Ah, when worlds collide.
At our first meeting, my typewriter friend revealed to me that he sent a typed letter to Tom Hanks asking him to autograph one of his own treasured typewriters. Then, months passed with no response. But, one fine day, a letter from Tom arrived. And, guess what? He was happy to autograph the typewriter. They exchanged a few more letters and a whole typewriter in the mail. In. The. Mail. Not over DM, text, email, or even the phone. Let that sink in. This took time. And it was worth it. Now, not only does this man claim Hanks as a pen pal, he also has a typewriter with his name on it. As he told his story, I found myself imaging how freeing it would be to live in a world where we didn’t hurry everything along.
I’m taking a couple of lessons from this. The first is to not be afraid to ask for what I want, even if it seems outlandish. The man who wrote Hanks put his dream into the world and then he gave it time. He didn’t have much of a choice because this was before we could hound people with automated messages, texts, and other forms of electronic communication. Patience wasn’t an option, it was a way of life. Dreaming, getting after what I dream of, and being patient about what could come next is hard for me. I have a cycle that I go through where I identify what I want, convince myself it’s unrealistic, do nothing to pursue it, then still want it. I’ve been running that cycle my whole life. But, over the past few months, I’ve started something that I’ve wanted to do for a long time which is to professionally coach, speak, and write. I’ve longed to change my career path for years, but it has always felt unrealistic. I’ve been asking for help with this dream and making it known, and I’m breaking my cycle. I’m learning that even if something seems outlandish (read: writing to Tom Hanks to ask for an autographed typewriter) trying anyway produces incredible results.
Dreaming, getting after what I dream of, and being patient about what could come next is hard for me.
The second lesson is to remind myself to not be discouraged if what I want takes longer to come to life than expected. It took Hanks months to write back, but in all that time waiting, what was certain is there was never a definitive “no.” There was still an air of possibility. And, the dream ended up coming true. I’ve been conditioned to believe that I have to work with an unrealistic sense of urgency. What I’m learning is that urgency doesn’t tend to move things along faster. It creates a false sense of control and a whole lot of anxiety. The joy of pursuing my dreams lies in the process of bringing them to life (read: the work) more than it lies in the final result (read: the end). Giving thing time creates space for curiosity, exploration, and wonder. That’s more fun than being finished.
Giving things time tends to produce far more space for curiosity, exploration, and wonder. That’s more fun than being finished.
I invite you to consider: what is one thing you can do this week to move toward what you want? How will you let go of your need for urgency so you can find joy in the process of pursuit rather than the result?
Until next time, friends. Stay curious.