What might happen if you took your very own Serentripity this summer?

If you followed our blog posts last week then you know about the adventures Heather, Cheryl, Misty, and I encountered while on our own Serentripity to find S-h-i-n-e. The trip was fun, action-packed, and - for me - even a little eye-opening.

Here are a few of the things that I learned along the way:

Serentripity is a little like life: We left for our trip without a map or a clear plan of where our travels would take us. Instead, we followed oracles and looked for signs along the way to reassure us that we were moving in the right direction. It made our travels a lot more fun than simply plotting a route and then moving directly from Point A to Point B.

You can't find fate. Fate has to find you. I tried to control the destination of our much-anticipated stop, not once, not twice, but three times. Left up to me - and my lack of faith - the four of us might have ended up, at 2:18 p.m, wandering a college campus, standing in a cheese store, or sitting in the rocking chair of a woman who owned a yellow house. None of those stops would have shined as much as where we ended up - the doorstep of the oldest Dr. Pepper bottling plant in the world.

People are guarded. During the nine-hour, 200+ mile trip, only three people responded to the invitation we posted on the back windshield of my car, "Honk if You Shine." I refuse to accept that only three of the people we passed shined or that only three drivers knew the definition of "Shine." Instead,  I believe it is a function of the isolated, guarded lives that so many of us has grown accustomed to living. That's the bad news. 

Enthusiasm is contagious. The good news is that energy and enthusiasm begets more energy and enthusiasm. Each of the people we encountered seemed genuinely pleased by having met us and having been a part of our adventure. Because we live in a world where technology makes human interaction less and less necessary, creating opportunities for uplifting exchanges between people is more important than ever. Shining means looking for those kinds of opportunities. 

There is always something else you could or should be doing. Laundry, errands, sorting mail, or spending coveted time with family. I am certain Heather, Cheryl, Misty, and I could have created long lists of things to do on that day, rather than take a trip to we-didn't-know-where. The decision to make memories will outlast any short term decision we might have made to be practical. And I am so glad.

I wonder what lessons you might learn. Or what oracles you would follow. Or what people you would encounter. Or what interesting stories you could share about where fate took you?

I wonder so much that I invite you to organize your own Summer 2011 Serentripity. Take pictures and be ready to share your story, because the week after Labor Day we'll turn our blog over to someone whose story we can't resist sharing.

Visit us in the comment section and tell us who you will invite to join you on your trip. Or, just send us an email when your trip is done and tell us all about it.

Shining off until tomorrow...