Bob Goff is one of my heroes. I first heard about Bob in a Donald Miller book, and then he wrote a book himself.
After reading Love Does, I got the sense that Bob Goff does something epic and whimsical every single day. He rides an Indian elephant to work or makes a balloon elephant for a child or rides an Indian elephant with a child while making a balloon elephant for said child on the way to work.
In recent years I’ve tried modeling much of my life after Bob Goff’s. I want more of his whimsy infused into my own story. Basically, I often ask myself: WWBGD?
I suppose that’s a slightly sacrilegious acronym. But whenever I wonder whether I should do something, I inevitably consider whether Bob Goff would do it; usually, he would. And if Bob Goff would do it to live a better story, why on earth wouldn’t I?
Remember my New Year’s in Times Square? WWBGD.
My #RunningTo road trip at large? WWBGD.
And this past Easter weekend? Once again I went the way of Bob Goff and answered the call of WWBGD.
I’ve been restless this last month living in Charlotte. I’ve been fortunate to find some tutoring work here, but I still have so much downtime. I’ve been exploring coffee shops and city streets and parks, walking around and kinda going mad knowing there’s a big world out there whispering my name with every breeze.
I’ve been thinking about taking a brief road trip for a while now. A day trip to Asheville or a weekend in the Outer Banks or some trek into that other Carolina to the south.
As Easter weekend neared, the opportunity arose to join a friend at my #7 favorite Instagram’d moment of my road trip. The pretty place with a pretty cross and a pretty view of the valley that I swore I’d revisit someday.
I never really thought about the decision. I knew Bob Goff would do it, so I did it. I packed my hobo bag for an overnight stay, and I went wandering again.
Just beyond a city aptly called Travelers Rest are some mountains. Tucked into the mountains is Camp Greenville and the prettiest outdoor chapel I’ve ever seen. I first wandered there in late January and watched the sun set over a giant wooden cross and both Carolinas.
I left the hills that cool January night determined to return someday. I just had no idea “someday” would be hardly three months later.
What better time for a reunion at the cross than Easter morning?
We arrived at Symmes Chapel amid the graying black of 6am, and there were over 100 people already there. Apparently an Easter sunrise at the cross is a really Christianey thing to do.
At 7:11am on that chilly Easter morning, the sun peeked over the mountains. All gray turned to yellow as Easter greeted this Carolinian landscape.
It was a much needed wandering. How I’ve missed the thrill of the open road. The process of creating moments in majestic places with dear friends.
I’ve now seen that cross at sunset and sunrise. Perhaps someday I’ll go back and catch her view at noonday. Perhaps I’ll see this pretty place during autumn and gasp over a totally new assortment of colors.
I’m not saying I’ll go back to Pretty Place every three months or that I’ll even take a road trip somewhere every single weekend. But I get scared when I start losing my whimsy. I don’t ever want to go back to an ordinary life. I’ve learned to ask myself what Bob Goff would do, and in so doing I’ve made his whimsy my own.
I want to look at my life less like WWBGD and more like WWTMZD.
I want to embrace a naturally whimsical identity that never wonders whether to do something inconvenient or unconventional. I just do it.
Because gosh, life is way too short not to ride that elephant.
How did you spend Easter? How can you infuse a little whimsy into your life this week?
Love this post! Bob Goff has highly influenced me, and your conclusion is spot on. So glad Pretty Place is available to you. One day I’ll have to wander there myself. PS, my friend says try finding Rainbow Falls, located somewhere within the park.
Definitely worth the wandering! I’ll have to look out for Rainbow Falls next time I go back. I’d love to explore the area beyond Pretty Place.