Do you want to be number one or the only one?

This morning I woke up with this sentence in mind and my memory went back to the day I joined my brother for The Tour of the 5 Towers 🏰, a quite popular hiking event organised by and for amateurs in my native region, Piedmont (Italy).
By the first 15min, it was clear that we were there with two different attitudes. My brother’s goal was to perform and be among the first hikers to conclude the walk. I was there to try something new and enjoy the nature.
So, we split. While he was flying, I was contemplating the very scenic landscape across Langhe, Monferrato, and Roero: fresh air, gentle sun, hills full of personalities and histories, sparking butterflies, and aromatic plants 🍀.
Eventually, I realised that I left my water bottle in my brother’s backpack. I was very behind, so when I reached the first rest point, water was already gone, and I could only drink…red wine🍷! Same situation at the second rest point, at the third and…well, after, I lost count of the glasses of wine I savoured!
The trail’s borders started becoming less clear! By mistake I took a private road, and I ran into a jeep driven by one of the organisers. The old man agreed with me that I could never conclude the walk only by drinking wine. So, he invited me to have some polenta and porcini mushrooms (one of my favourites dishes!) with his group, then gave me a ride home 🚙.
End of the story? I had such a beautiful day and I also arrived home before my brother! Yes, I did not reach the finish line, but if I had focused all my attention on the finish line, I would have never enjoyed the little things about the journey and had a unique experience of The Tour of the 5 Towers to share with you today 😊!
What would change for you if, just for today, you decided to be the only one instead of the number one?
Look forward to reading you in the comments!
(Photo by Vitolda Klein on Unsplash)