I have a complicated relationship with steps. It is something that dates back to my early childhood in rural Georgia. Several things over the past week reminded me of the importance of a healthy respect, acknowledgement, and proper engagement with steps of all kinds in life. Some people asked me how I come up with various topics for articles. Many times, the topics find me. I simply remain mindfully present, open, aware, listening and watching for those moments that confirm the topic for me.
First, the event this week that confirmed this topic of steps, and aptly named title “Ready, Step”, for my article was the State Funeral for President Jimmy Carter, held here in Washington DC. My earliest childhood memories of politics and leaders was of President Carter, who was a former Governor from my home state of Georgia. He lived a long life of 100 years dedicated to service, peace, human rights, and much more.
Therefore, it was my honor to join friends and thousands of other regular citizens standing in line for 3+ hours in the freezing cold temperatures to pay my respects to this amazing President, global leader, humanitarian, and Christian man who lived out his faith and values the same in person as he was in private, according to his grandsons’ eulogies and all who knew him. After 3+ hours we filed quietly into the U.S. Capitol Rotunda to stand before President Carter’s remains in the flag draped casket, surrounded by military honor guard to remember, and honor his life of service.
While preparing for our visit to the Capitol for the lying in state of President Carter, I watched the arrival ceremony the day before. I was especially drawn to the military honor guard pall bearers carrying President Carter’s casket up the steps of the east side of the U.S. Capitol. I could hear the call of “Ready, Step” as the military call for all the honor guard members to take a coordinated step up on the Capitol steps. That military call is important to ensure everyone is taking the right step at the right time, in unison, to minimize any confusion or other mishaps. It reminded me of my time in Air Force Basic Training and learning to march and follow drill commands. At first it was awkward for me as a new recruit, and I had some missteps. But after a while, I learned quickly how to listen, look, and follow the calls to take the right steps at the right time.
I was reminded again of the importance of the “Ready, Step” command while watching the rest of the State Funeral events the next day when the military honor guard carried President Carter’s casket out of the Capitol and down those same steps, then up steps into the National Cathedral for his State Funeral service, and back down the steps to the awaiting hearse to carry him to Joint Base Andrews and his final flight home to his beloved Plains Georgia to be buried beside his loving wife, Rosalyn Carter, of 77+ years.
Those military calls of “Ready, Step” were important to ensure the honor guard were in sync and nobody tripped, fell, or had other issues. At the same time, there were hundreds of processes, procedures, and protocol steps for a State Funeral that went off with precision from the moment of President Carter’s death until his final burial in Georgia. These State Funerals for Presidents are planned out meticulously well in advance to ensure everyone knows what steps are needed and when. So, physical steps as well as process/procedural steps are very important in addition to planning how we navigate those steps effectively, safely, and efficiently, giving direction and commands for navigation where needed, to get everyone safely to their desired destination.
Yes, steps are an important part of life. But many times, I’ve stumbled and tripped on steps. Have you ever tripped and fallen up steps instead of falling down steps? I have tripped and fallen up steps and down steps many times. And this complicated relationship with steps traces back to childhood.
As a kid growing up in Georgia in the 1970’s, I went running through life without a thought in the world of guardrails, seat belts, or any other safety measure, throwing caution to the wind. It was the culture at the time, riding our bikes with no helmets and jumping rickety board ramps wobbling on broken cement cinder blocks, riding in cars with no seat belts in the backward facing seats of the family station wagons, riding in the open back of pickup trucks down dirt roads to the lake, and yes, running up and down steps, taking two or more steps at a time, not paying attention to where I was going. While trying to skip steps or jump ahead of steps beyond my physical capacity, I often tripped up steps or lost my balance and sometimes fell down steps.
A story from very early childhood I don’t remember but was often told about by older relatives recalls the time I was playing too close to some steps, again not paying attention, and respecting the steps, and I fell headfirst down a flight of cement steps. While I didn’t break any bones, I did somehow damage my inner ear or something that disrupted my sense of balance. When I tried to stand up, the room shifted in my vision, and I shifted with it until I fell down. According to family, they took me to the hospital, and even though there was no major damage from the fall, it still took a couple of days for my sense of equilibrium to come back.
That childhood story and my experiences with steps of all kinds remind me of the important lessons in life we all need to consider for a healthy relationship with steps. I remind myself of the lessons I’ve learned from falling up and down steps over the years when I try to go too fast, skip too many steps at the same time, don’t pay attention to clear directions and guidance for how to safely navigate steps, including physical and process/procedure steps.
I’m also reminded of my time in the military learning all the military drill directions to take the right steps at the right time, “Ready, Step.” Going back to those military honor guard at President Carter’s State Funeral this week, what would happen if they hadn’t learned and followed those military drill directions “Ready, Step” and others? How messy, dangerous, awkward, embarrassing, and disruptive could things have gone if they ignored the orders for taking the right step at the right time? What if one or more of them tried to skip steps or take multiple steps at the same time? How would that negatively impact that individual honor guard member? How would it impact the whole honor guard team? How would it impact the people around them, the family of President Carter, our nation and the world watching? Yes, having a healthy relationship and respect for steps and knowing when and how to take the right steps at the right time and at the right pace is not only important to us but also everyone around us.
I was even reminded of the importance of taking the right step at the right time by, of all things, a fortune cookie this past week, that read, “Step by Step You Will Ascend the Staircase to Success. I got the point universe, and as I consider my personal and career goals, including my growing professional coaching practice, I’m keenly aware, respectful, and more intentional about the steps I take.
As always, I encourage you to reflect on your stories and relationship with steps, physical and process/procedural steps. Are you more attentive and cautious about the steps you take, how and when? Or, like me, do you sometimes try to skip too many steps and fall up or down the steps? How might you change your relationship with steps to improve things in your life?
And I am always interested in hearing and learning from all of you and your related stories because, Your Story Matters. Let’s all continue moving forward positively towards our goals. Ready, Step.
