My school has a great photography / media program, and this year, one of their projects is to interview teachers and administrators and to take videos of our answers. Then, on the Friday of each week, we present the video to our classrooms, in an effort to help the students get to know the staff. Clever idea, and I was fortunate enough to be the first one interviewed.
This past week, one of our counselors in student services was interviewed. He was once in charge of our school’s leadership program, and as such, he is well spoken, dynamic, and very popular with the student population. When I saw that he was being interviewed, I really looked forward to his answers to the questions, and I was not disappointed.
I could bring up many of the things he said, since it was such a good speech, but what really struck me was his answer to the question: If you could have a superpower, what would it be? My answer, which turns out to be a common one, was to be able to fly. He said that he would not be comfortable with flying, since he was afraid of heights (I think I can relate to this answer, actually). Instead, he would like to be able to transport instantaneously from one location to another, and he even made reference to Star Trek, saying it would be like being beamed using a teleporter.
The reason he wanted this particular power was so that he could travel instantly to the most beautiful natural locations that the world has to offer. He happens to be quite the outdoorsman, and as such, he is really into camping, canoeing, and hiking … not to mention mountain biking, which is why I respect him so much.
His idea had me thinking while I was biking back home from school that day. And it soon became clear that I had to agree with him. I would rather have the ability to teleport, much more than the ability to fly. (This happens to me all the time. I come up with an answer with great confidence, and then someone else offers an alternative answer and I realize that their answer is so much better than mine. This is why I am a teacher, by the way. I have very few good ideas of my own, but instead, I am happy to share the great ideas and contributions of others.)
But the reason I want to able to beam to other places at will is a bit different than this school counselor’s reason. My motivation is less about being beamed to a remote natural location (as appealing as that is), but it is more about being beamed away from a situation.
One of my biggest fears when I go mountain biking in the mountains is the possibility of meeting up with a bear. I know that the chances are quite small, and the most likely result of such a meeting is that the bear will be scared and run away from me. But a small chance is still a chance, and when I am in the bush, my mind is consumed by this possibility. And I am terrified by it.
So, how cool would it be if, upon encountering a bear on a singletrack with nowhere to hide, I could simply will myself to beam back home, bike and all, and arrive completely unscathed and healthy. That would be amazing! I would be way more relaxed while I ride, and I would enjoy the experience so much more. And I would be willing to go on excursions into really distant and remote trails, all by myself, and delight in the natural surroundings in all their glory. Wow, that would be such a dream come true.
But even apart from this, I would love this superpower even for the local rides I do around Edmonton. One of the big dangers of riding for hours away from the house is experiencing a mechanical problem with the bike or having a big crash, rendering me unable to ride. I do not ride with a phone, and so when my bike is inoperable or my body is in great pain, I still have to find a way to get home on my own. So, inevitably, I have to walk my bike home, which I have done many times, or I have to ride my bike in an injured state (one time, I had to ride 2 hours to get home, after seriously cracking my ribs in a terrible crash). But to be able to instantly transport home? What a dream come true!!
So yes, when my trek becomes far too dangerous or I am seeing stars after a crash, beam me home, Scotty.