Embrace Change with Curiosity (and DON’T follow that hat!)

In these troubling times many of us have experienced change or loss.

While the sting of those losses, some professional, too many personal and all deeply impactful, remains with us, we find ourselves facing the winds of change, off balance and chasing who we used to be. In the aftermath, many of us find ourselves wearing a new hat or potentially multiple hats in whatever new paradigm we land in. This is probably exciting for some and scary for others. My bet is the majority of us feel both ways!

That is normal, that is OK.

I want to take us on a bit of whimsy just for today, as I am hoping that it is helpful.

Curious George of book and cartoon fame has a best friend. This man is called “The Man in The Yellow Hat”

That hat and his yellow outfit are a distinctive part of his identity.

That’s why the theme of one of the Curious George books is called “Curious George in Follow that Hat” (Rey and Rey). Curious George and his friend, The Man, are hanging out in the park one day and The Man decides to take a nap.

Suddenly Curious George sees the Yellow Hat scurrying away seemingly on its own.

It goes down the street, it lands on a street vendor’s head, and has several other adventures until George finally grabs it from the limb of a tall tree.

Spoiler alert: (don’t read any further if you plan on getting this book 🙂 )

When he discovers the hat on the tree limb, just before he snatches it up, he discovers it is chattering?

There was a squirrel under the hat the whole time!

In the story, George returns the hat to The Man and they whimsically live happily ever after.

The Man’s identity is intact and ready for the next book.

…but what if George never chased that hat? Would the man, George grew to love over the many decades, have truly been any different, just because he lost his hat or had to change hats, or wear more than one?

No, I suspect The Man, would go on saving George from his antics.

I suspect that if George had never spent the energy chasing that hat, and whether The Man ended up in a replacement yellow hat, with no hat, wearing two hats or sporting three, The Man was still the very same Man that he always was underneath.

I am willing to bet, that with or without your hat, you are too.

I am thankful for that and I’m glad that we get to go forward into the undiscovered country, together.