Tag: astonishment

I’m in the midst of one of the Linking Your Thinking workshops taught by Nick Milo. Recently, during one of Nick’s talks, I had one of those flashes of insight that surprised me. Aha! 

What came to mind is that my PKM system is kind of like an amusement park of my mind. 

This morning while taking my daily walk I was listening to George Saunders on the Talk Easy podcast talking about his writing process. He used the metaphor of how when he’s writing he thinks of himself designing a roller coaster. That he spends a lot of time designing and redrafting over and over again that first climb up the big hill and the swoosh down – the one that takes your breath away – followed by all of the other hills and dips and curves and twists until the end of the ride. We all know that sense of astonishment when we come over that first hill – after the clackety clack of the hill climb – and it looks like we’re heading straight down!

So for sure the amusement park of my mind has a roller coaster like that in it! Maybe it starts with the big hill of my home note? 

But my amusement park has other lands as well – I think of my own Fantasyland, Adventureland, Tomorrowland, and more. Maybe there’s a Main Street that is my daily note – a place for grounding me each morning?

I’m sure there’s a pirate cove in there somewhere along with a submarine and a rocket ride. Some kiddie cars and even a junior roller coaster when I’m just wanting a small thrill.

I have pundits in my park too – some long dead – who speak to me on the town square and suggest I respond to them. 

And there’s a big train that circles the whole park and provides me with a gentle ride when I’m just wanting to relax and reflect.

Good fun! No metaphor is perfect – but this amusement park of my mind idea is feeling like it is a pretty good one!