The Thing About Unsolicited Advice

Woman walking on ice - Photo by Nick Linnen on Unsplash

Gingerly Carla puts one foot onto the ice. It holds.

She moves one step forward. It holds.

Another step. Creeeach!. She hears the groan of the ice.

Another step. A hairline crack zick-zacks away from under her foot.

Carla stops. She surveys the ice. Looks for changes in color and texture.
Takes her time, sensing, feeling, observing.

At the banks of the frozen stream, her friends have gathered, thinking she is stuck. They are cheering her on.
“Go! You can do it! Nothing to worry about!” her friend Josie shouts.

An air of frustration and impatience starts building.

Suddenly Josie stomps onto the ice.
“Stop fussing around! Look, you must keep your goal in sight and move ahead! Watch and learn!” she says confidently, before storming off across the ice.

She keeps her eyes focused on the other side.

She disregards the cracks, never seems to waver and … with a screech Josie breaks into the icy water, right in the middle of the shallow stream.

Wet, shivering and swearing she scrambles to the other side.
She made it!
She reached her goal!

Carla continues to watch.

She takes a few steps back and to the side.

Sees the river boulders that peak through the ice.
Steps on them and arrives at the other side.
She makes it!
She reaches her goal!
Dry and warm. Calm.

I have become wary of unsolicited advice.

Because sometimes, what looks like fear and hesitation,
may be action at a different pace to mine.

And what looks like determination and fearless action,
may lack insight and be driven by ego.