In a post a while ago (Better Experience the Presents) I told the story of how we give ‘experiences’ to our kids for Christmas instead of presents – the experience lasts a lifetime (not like the screen on an iPhone!) and when we talk about what happened the Christmas before, all the kids remember the ‘experience’ but not anything else they may have received (which by the way, considering the cost of some of the experiences, is not much!).

This year we all went on a helicopter ride at Lyndoch (see their site at : http://www.barossahelicopters.com.au/ or Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/BarossaHelicopter) – we got a great special including the ride, a glass of wine (after!) and a small picnic snack.  Plus the property the rides are on and the facilities, are fantastic (the staff were also friendly and helpful – real customer service!)

The ride wasn’t very long, but it was an experience!

We had a female helicopter pilot who had been flying for 9 years and it was her families’ business – it was pretty cool.  As we took of and flew around I notices our pilot, who was talking to us at the time (I got to wear a real pilots headset and felt like “Maverick” in Top Gun), was manipulating both hands, on different controls and both feet on separate pedals.  I asked her if she was even conscious of the little movements she was making to keep us steady and going the way we were supposed to?  That’s when she told us she had been flying for nine years and a lot of it was natural but, she was always conscious of the helicopters movements, the wind, the speed, the height etc etc.  I watched her for a lot of the flight fascinated at her natural and obviously skilled ability.  Our touch down was perfect (as was the take off – we were in the air before I really knew it) and it was a great experience.

I told the kids after our flight and theirs about all the hand eye co-ordination by our pilot.  Later on the way home we were talking about driving and how even when I was conscious (and even looking) at my hands on the steering wheel I was making little movements and counter movements to keep the car going straight – I, unlike the helicopter pilot only had a few controls, but, like the helicopter pilot was subconsciously making these adjustments – I was actually fascinated by my hands moving as I wasn’t really consciously doing it even when I was looking at them and paying attention.

I remembered, and reminded the kids when they were learning to drive, how they would jerk the wheel back and forth just to keep the car in a straight line – I was later speaking to a mate and he said he didn’t move his hands – I said have a look next time you drive.

I have tried to teach the kids how to drive.  We went on country roads and I even got them to drive into the dirt with 2 wheels and then get back onto the bitumen to know what it feels like.

I got to thinking as I do….

The helicopter pilot and us driving our cars is a lot like how we go about our days.  We make the little adjustments, often without thinking about them.  It might be to take the kids somewhere they only advised you about 2 minutes before, even though they have known about it for weeks – of course, this is just as you were about to get into the shower or have that glass of wine after work…. or it might be taking that phone call from a friend, and you listening for half an hour, when you really just want to finish reading your book…. Or a 1000 other little interruptions in your daily life….. it’s all about the adjustments.

Sometimes we get a gust of wind, or we run our wheels into the dirt but if we have practiced, perhaps if we were taught right in the first place,  and perhaps if we take the time occasionally to notice our life, we are able to take these things in our stride and make the adjustments – some big, some small, some we just do without thinking.

It is occasionally good to notice the little adjustments we are making (remember to watch you hands next time you are driving!) and perhaps say, I reckon I am doing alright and have a bit of skill here, that I didn’t notice before – you are allowed to occasionally be proud of yourself.

The little adjustments are perhaps like trying to be a better man – you are doing it, but don’t always notice.