Shine - November 11, 2023

There are some days that I feel like I shine. Today was one of them.

I worked the gate of Yosemite today on fee free day. “We are honoring Veterans by giving free access to the park today.” I said this 262 times, which I know because we kept a tally via bookmarks that we gave out to those receiving free entry. It is a gift to be able to share the joy of the park with visitors today.

Sometimes fee free days can feel like a circus. It is a day where people come just because they can. Which is reason enough. However, it also means that our gate gets bloated with people to are unfamiliar with the flow of the park, and often in too big of hurry to ask or even listen. These are days that wear me down. I was dreading this day a little because of this habitual feeling on these days.

This morning I put on my uniform and my big wooden sun earrings. They were a hit and helped me maintain my energy through the day. Twenty-two people complimented me on my earrings today. I love that affirmation.

My energy matched my energy and for the whole day, at least 90% of it, I was enthusiastic with visitors about fee free day and giving more through service of delivering tools, a map and a guide, with a smile.

“The map will help you navigate and makes a great souvenir. This guide has all the services offered in the park, including trail recommendations, ranger programs, food options, as well as useful information to thrive in Yosemite.”

I do say the same things all day. In fact sometimes, I skip ahead in my routine at the window or say the same thing twice. This is the reality because I am not a robot. The benefit to not being a robot is that I recognize that each person that hears my same repeated lines will receive them differently. I can react to their response and recommend or explain what they are interested in. I have a lot of information, but people only need bits and pieces. This is another reason why I like working the gate, the micro interpretations.

The other thing I allowed myself was to not push to move anything forward today. I did my daily routine duties, but then stayed present at the window. I colored a lot, which helped me stay in the moment between visitors and feel calm and comforted. I love that when I am in my own kiosk I can keep it a little warm how I like it to keep a barrier from the chill.

Fee Free Day at Yosemite

It was a good day. I look back at it and realize that I had a huge part in making it a good day. I brought a good attitude. I allowed myself to rest and meditate. I greeted each visitor like they were the only ones I saw that day and help people find their way. That makes me so happy.

I like it when people feel good. One guy of the younger mid-to late twenties sort, can back through the exit and stopped to say that he and those in his car really appreciated my energy and it make their day to feel so welcomed. They had a great day, and I feel like I was a part of that.

Another family came back and the lady in the passenger seat smiled upon seeing me and said, “the girls were hoping it would be you again today.” I look in the back seat to see two girls in the back seat with big grins, about 3 and 5. I smile and wave, “I’m so glad to see you again! Did you have fun yesterday?” “Yes,” they exclaimed. “And you are going to have fun again today.” “Yes,” they both cheer. As the car left, the gentleman driving said real quiet, “thank you.” I smiled as they drove away.

An older couple came through my gate and after we talked for a few minutes the gal said, “You must be a morning person.” I laugh, “Not really, I’m just a life person.” The gentleman beside said, “I like that.” I never thought of it before, but it felt true.

Moments like this are why I love my job. I focus on the person in front of me and welcome them in to this magical place that I work. I stand in the gateway to wonder, healing, and adventure. Sometimes people come for only one and leave with all three. That’s when I feel like I do a good job. This is what I live for.

Sunset on Hwy 120 W

I also enjoy seeing the sunrise and sunset to and from work, it is a good bookend to the day. Especially with the backdrop of the magnificent fall colors. My commute with take you breath away. It’s much better to focus on that than the wear on the car.

Speaking of which, adding oil seems to have fixed the problem. Lu is running much smoother and the check engine light went off. It still has a slight studder in low gears, but I wondered if that could have been from engaging the lower gears when I went down the Old Priest Grade. I tried to engage and disengage it when I got home, so I’ll see if that helped tomorrow. I hope so because I really want to go down to Joshua Tree National Park on my weekend!

Well, that’s about all of my rambling for the day. I like this routine. It helps me process my day and allows me to share some of my philosophy about the world and my place in it. I like to think about what I think about things. It’s nice to share this and hear what others think too. I hope that these journals inspire conversation and feed a little sunshine into your day.

Sending you bright, sunshine energy!