Moments before I left the house on Sunday morning for an easy two hour spin on Simone, I walked Marion through the time, location, and shots I wanted him to grab of me riding with our drone on a desolate road overlooking the valley. It’s a cool spot I would reach about an hour into my ride, enough time for him to practice flying the drone, and drive to meet me when it was “Go time!” However, I made a fateful mistake of thinking like a director versus a producer, I didn’t check the batteries in the drone before I walked out the door. Directors don’t have to worry about equipment or their crew, just their vision, but Producers need to worry about all of it.
Old drone footage overlooking the San Fernando Valley. Nifty, right?
I have a tough time asking for help. I hate letting people down. I want to be enough, more than enough on my own, but it keeps getting confirmed again and again that people need people, and in this scenario I needed help.
I had the idea to use the drone on Saturday night, but I wasn’t positive, and I never mentioned it out loud, if I had, Marion would’ve jumped on it, and we both would've made sure to charge the batteries overnight. Unfortunately, making the decision on Sunday morning was a tad too late.
The conditions were perfect for shooting. The air was calm, the hills were bright green and popping with wildflowers, and my legs felt great, but at minute 0:58 of my two hour ride I was jolted from my euphoria when my phone rang.
The conditions were perfect for shooting. The air was calm, the hills were bright green and popping with wildflowers, and my legs felt great, but at minute 0:58 of my two hour ride I was jolted from my euphoria when my phone rang.
“Hey, I’m so sorry, but the batteries are dead.” Marion reported solemnly.
“Oh, okay.” I replied slightly bummed.
“The controller is charged, but the drone itself is out of juice.”
“Well, don’t worry about it, we can do it another time.”
I was bummed. I had already edited the movie in my head, shot for shot, but it was my mistake, I knew better than to assume the drone had anything left from a previous charge, but since I am the Queen of learning lessons the hard way, it felt fitting that my plan didn’t pan out.
Regardless of that disappointment, I was having a blast with Simone, and quickly settled back down to remember what mattered most, whether I captured it on film(digital) or not, the ride was fantastic, and far from ruined. My legs felt good, my heart was full, and my brain was storming with ideas for next time. Plus, every story needs conflict and resolution, and I resolve never to make that mistake again.
Then about a mile away from my house, while pedaling above the 118 freeway, watching cars whizz by underneath, I thought, “This could be a cool shot.”
Alternative storytelling.
It’s not what I originally wanted, visually it was much simpler, but it still told the story I wanted to tell, (what I was doing, where I was doing it, and how I felt doing it), happily riding my bike in the afternoon sunshine.
I believe there are lessons lurking around us everywhere, and that sometimes it takes our plans being interrupted by disappointment to absorb what they are trying to teach. During that Sunday bike ride two huge lessons reemerged that I constantly face, and need to affirm on a daily basis, it’s okay to ask for help, and always trust my creativity. Oh, and remember to charge the drone batteries overnight.
The song and video choice this week is an oldie, but a real goodie, and poignant for our current state of the world, Living Years by Mike and The Mechanics.
BONUS
Also, I was a guest on an IronWomen Podcast mini-episode this week about my top book recommendations, hosted by the marvelous Pro-Triathlete, U.S. Olympics Marathon Qualifier Finisher, and fabulous human being, Haley Chura.
