The Passport Process, Part I : Application & Processing

Processing destiny as only Eleanor could. ​

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The dictionary defines a "passport" as "an official document issued by the government of a country to one of its citizens...authorizing travel to foreign countries,...authenticating the bearer's identity, citizenship, right to protection while abroad, and right to reenter his or her native country" or "something that secures admission, acceptance or attainment."

As Passport Supervisor at the Denver Main Branch, it was Eleanor's job to supervise the means through which these precious permits were applied for, processed and eventually issued to their intended recipients. It was a process she continued to oversee even in death, not only inspiring Oliver, Norman, Rita and Shane's non-traditional "applications," but the methods by which those applications were "processed" in Lost Without You.

Entering Lost Without You, Oliver, Norman, Rita and Shane were at various levels of growth and development. Rita remained the most evolved, having achieved the essence of her House Rule back in Impossible Dream and living out of it ever since. Norman, while considerably more confident, remained unproven when it came to the strength and consistency of his leadership. On the cusp of a blooming romance, Shane and Oliver "saw the light," but struggled to attain it in From The Heart and One In A Million as a result of fear, each carrying pain from their past that handicapped their ability to connect with each other in the present. Eleanor's death was the catalyst that spurred Norman, Shane and Oliver's growth in a way that brought them collectively to "higher ground" in both a literal and figurative sense, spurring each onto journeys to remove the barriers that limited them.

Norman crossed geographical and professional boundaries in his quest to "think big and be bold" in Lost Without You. The Director challenged Norman's perspective of himself, prompting Norman to "assume nothing," and scrutinize even the smallest of details to truly ensure he was reaching his full potential as a mail recovery expert, utilizing all the tools available to him in the process. From walking the streets of the University district, to suggesting he and Rita take a trip to New Mexico, and even using his position as Treasurer of the O'Toole Foundation to purchase Sandy, Norman demonstrated a confidence and initiative critical to leadership, the type of leadership also critical in a marriage. ​

Norman's quest intersected with the set of events put in motion by Eleanor's death when he delivered Sandy, but it was a bet placed on "the Ability of the Almighty," an outcome initiated by Oliver's observation that he "can't imagine the Denver Main Branch without Eleanor" where her impact at this stage is most ardently felt. By extension, her death challenged each Shane and Oliver to contend with parts of themselves that were underdeveloped due to fear associated with events from their past.

Still harboring wounds associated with the passing of her father before they could reconnect, Eleanor's passing under similar circumstances convicted Shane to send Oliver out with Joe to the wilderness, surrendering her guilt of a connection missed with her own father out with them through her dad's camping gear. At the same time, Dale's continued presence caused Shane to ponder matters of faith, which surrendering her guilt allowed her to begin exploring more fully. The gentle conditioning of her heart throughout Lost Without You positioned Shane to meet God in a tangible way via prayer.

For Oliver, the pain born of his encounter in the woods decades before left an indelible mark of insecurity that permeated his relationships into adulthood. Desperate to move past it, but unaware of what was holding him back, the bet made at the Mailbox Grille just after Eleanor's death places him on a crash course with the answer, leading Oliver straight to the Wilderness---and to God---prayerful introspection the only way to remove the debilitating obstacle and "start over." It's an experience and desire best illustrated by his readiness to "try a bee pollen, ginger and kombucha smoothie"---Eleanor's specialty.  

Each individual quest to develop or be made whole in Lost Without You was a unique "application" for which the Wilderness "processing" was specific to what was required to achieve that growth. It was only one step in the journey, however, preparing them to pass into, and receive full benefit of, the new territory which they were about to enter. Wilderness proven, Norman, Rita, Oliver and Shane were ready to take the next steps in their relationships. And, once "approved," it was Eleanor who directly "issued" the "passports" that would allow the POstables to take those next steps.

Applying,
~C

​The Passport Process: Application & Processing | Approval & Issuance