I often draw upon characters on books or movies for inspiration when I’m running low, wondering what they would do in a particular situation (they all seem to handle things so much better than I). In this case, I was in Puno, with a terrible cold and even worse asthma, and feeling the effects of altitude to boot. I wondered whether it was worse paying extra and catching the train to Maccu Pichu, rather than the torture that would surely be trekking whilst my asthma was this bad. I just couldn’t decide. And then I thought of Jerry Maguire.
I can’t imagine Jerry Maguire procrastinating into his hotel pillow, no matter how bad things got. He would just do it. I thought of Jerry’s mentor Dicky Fox, sitting behind that big desk, his white eyebrows raised as he pointed to the screen and said, “If you don’t try, how are you ever going to know if you can do it?” I reluctantly agreed. Jerry would slap me on the back and raise his hands in question, looking at me for a final decision. I admit, his enthusiasm and positivity was catching, despite that fact it was all in my mind. I imagined myself nodding. I would do the Inca Trail, and deal with the consequences as they arose. That’s what Jerry would do. What can I say? He had me at hello.
-Sarah
Sarah