Recombobulating in Place
Have you ever visited General Mitchell International Airport in Milwaukee, Wisconsin? It’s my hometown airport and so I pass through it often (although not lately, of course). If you visited our airport, you have likely had the opportunity to experience one of its kind “Recombobulation Area" The pride of having this unique place for people to gather themselves and their belongings after they pass through airport security is so famous that you can even buy a “Recombobulation T-Shirt,” at the airport gift shop. The photo at the top of the column is a close-up photo of one of those T-Shirts.
I have thought about the airport sign several times this week-not because I have returned to a busy travel schedule (I am still fully sheltered in place and working from home). I thought about it because, in several conversations I’ve been a part of over the past few days, the person I was talking with used the word discombobulated to describe how they were feeling. I’m pretty sure I may have even used the term myself a few times.
Webster’s dictionary defines discombobulated as “characterized by confusion or disorder.” With all that is happening in the world right now, is it any wonder that this is a common way of feeling? Any former sense of normal is over, and as we now slowly start to figure out what the new normal will look like, we each, individually and collectively, will inevitably experience confusion and disorder.
So what is the remedy for feelings of discombobulation? You already know….recombobulation! And the good news is that one doesn’t need to pass through the Milwaukee airport to experience it.
As the definition on the T-Shirt says, recombobulation means to “think clearly again, re-orient, and to put back in working order.” Here is a list of practices I have learned during the last ten weeks, ones that help me put myself back in order when I’m feeling discombobulated.
*Daily movement. I get outside for some form of exercise every day, even if the weather is bad. The combination of movement and fresh air always clears my head.
*A good night’s sleep. There is no way to do an end-run around our need for good sleep each night, especially when we are feeling discombobulated. As Matthew Walker, the author of Why We Sleep says, “If our species could have evolved to get by on less than seven or eight hours of sleep, we would have done so long ago.”
*A regular practice of meditation/prayer. Last week I wrote about the importance of a daily quiet time to renew and reconnect one’s self with the Sacred dimension of life.
*Social connections. People have been wise to make the distinction between physical distancing and social distancing. During this pandemic I have had to take more initiative in order to stay socially connected with others, and when I do, I always feel renewed.
*Humor. I have a habit of taking things too seriously, and so need to intentionally find opportunities to have a good laugh. One of the things I love about the “Recombobulation Area” sign at the Milwaukee airport is that it always brings a smile to peoples' faces, if they are not in too big of a rush to notice it. This is a good reminder for me that there are always things around me that can amuse me or bring a smile to my face, unless I am too rushed to notice.
*Gratitude. It is so easy to focus on what is wrong or what we lack, especially now. Even in the hardest of times, there is still much about which I can be grateful. Part of my daily prayer time includes a focus on that for which I am thankful.
*Music. Listening to and playing music always brings order and calm to my life.
The bad news is that discombobulation happens. The good news is that so does recombobulation, and you don’t have to fly through MIlwaukee to experience it. We all have the capacity to recombobulate in place. I’ve shared a few things that help me reorient my life on a daily basis, and now I’m wondering—what works for you? Please feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section below.
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