The years 2000-2009 made up my 5th decade of life. For me (and probably for the entire world), more changes happened during that time than any other decade so far. But every single one brought me here -- to the last day of the first decade of the 21st century.
Some of the changes affected all of us as a people: 9-11, the internet, global warming, Y2K, our inclusion into several wars overseas, the election of our first black president, the 2nd "great depression", swine flu and mad cow disease, terrorism, the tsunami in India, Katrina, pyramid schemes, cell phones, globalization, etc.
Other changes between 2000 and 2009, of course, were more personal. And by personal, I mean they affected me and my loved ones. I believe that every change, from the tiniest to the largest, happens for a reason. I spent this morning making snap-shots in my brain about the big changes that occurred in my little world during the last decade.
My kids grew up into adulthood: yay! They are smart and funny and healthy.
My sister's family had a devastating house fire: the good news is that everyone got out alive, and they have moved into their newly rebuilt home.
Charlotte, my goofy black German shepherd, came bounding into my life. She has proven to be an awesome roommate.
My nephew suffered a life-altering spinal injury. Yet, he has dug deep to find strength and bravery, and everyone gets the blessing of witnessing this.
After 20 years, my marriage ended in unexpected divorce. Although a difficult adjustment initially, the end result is a new and wonderful life.
Looking back helps me look forward, since I can't choose where I'm going if I don't know where I've been. My reactions to previous changes (both tiny and large) have surprised me at times, but I figure looking for the good is better than clinging solely to the bad. Perhaps this happens if we are lucky enough to reach five decades.
And while technically, the decade doesn't end until 12-31-10, I don't care. I am going to consider tomorrow to be the first day of the second decade of the 21st century -- which will mark the beginning of my 6th decade. Woo Hoo! I can't wait.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Friday, December 18, 2009
State of the State
Ok, by state I mean Western North Carolina:
The views are magical, every second of every day.
The cool city of Charlotte is only 2.25 hours away, and the Atlantic ocean is just a couple hours further east.
It's legal to haul your dog (or your friends) in the back of a pick-up.
The local grocery stores carry "sugar free" Redman chaw.
"Wendy's" has issued a new meal for the states of North and South Carolina, called "the Carolina burger" -- a beef patty, chili and cole slaw.
The deli in the local grocery store carries "Amish Cole Slaw." It consists of cabbage, special sauce and carrots. No carriages involved.
Some of the people here still have lovely Ashevillian accents, but the "quacking" of the northern folk is being heard more often.
There are hide-aways in this area about which only savvy people know.
I am savvy. And I quack.
The views are magical, every second of every day.
The cool city of Charlotte is only 2.25 hours away, and the Atlantic ocean is just a couple hours further east.
It's legal to haul your dog (or your friends) in the back of a pick-up.
The local grocery stores carry "sugar free" Redman chaw.
"Wendy's" has issued a new meal for the states of North and South Carolina, called "the Carolina burger" -- a beef patty, chili and cole slaw.
The deli in the local grocery store carries "Amish Cole Slaw." It consists of cabbage, special sauce and carrots. No carriages involved.
Some of the people here still have lovely Ashevillian accents, but the "quacking" of the northern folk is being heard more often.
There are hide-aways in this area about which only savvy people know.
I am savvy. And I quack.
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Serendipity
def: "Making fortunate discoveries by accident."
Probably everyone has experienced this. You know how it goes; you are searching for one thing and suddenly something completely different and unexpected pops up in front of you. And it's fantastic! Or sometimes when you aren't looking, some wonderful thing all of sudden appears. Sometimes it's small and sometimes it's big. The important thing is that you realize that it's right there, in front of you.
A very memorable serendipidous event happened to me in 1994. On a Friday morning, I packed up my bags, my tent, and a case of beer, and headed to a secluded campground in the thumb area of Michigan for a girlie weekend with my sister and long-time gal-pals. After a night of way too many alcoholic indulgences, we crawled out of our tents, terribly hungover, and went on a hunt for a farmer's market that we'd heard from the campground owners was nearby. The gravel roads we travelled were often unmarked, and we found ourselves seemingly in the middle of nowhere, with no farmer's market in sight. Suddenly, a huge iron dragon came into view: it sat in front of a hill, 30-feet in height, with perfectly-welded scales, metal claws attached to upright forearms, and a long curly silver tongue thrusting from a huge gaping dragon mouth. Of course we all walked toward it (what WAS it doing in front of a hill in the middle of nowhere?). And then, without warning, a door opened right out of the grassy hill. A DOOR! A smiling woman came out, explaining that her husband, a metal artist, built the dragon and would we like to come in her house and see her pottery studio? It was too magical to refuse, so we followed the woman into the "house." This house was built into the berm, totally unseen from the road and covered with grass. It was a geodesic-dome style house, with hand-made mosaic countertops and stained-glass windows. And, a pristine vintage cherry-red 1966 VW bug Volkwagen in the garage. The owners were lovely and sweet, and we spent an hour chatting and marveling over their house. I remember we left being overwhelmed at the surprise "find", and to this day the four of us still talk about our serendipitous find on that beer-filled camping trip all those years ago.
How did this happen? Was it because 4 women, who shared a love and history that was almost magical, came together and caused some kind of serendipitous energy? Yes, I think so.
Some people just bring that energy into our lives. Those special people help us realize that wonderful and unexpected experiences are right outside our door and are available everyday if we just look for them, and we shouldn't be afraid to realize what we've just seen.
It happened again to me just this weekend, with a man who has helped me see just what beautiful and amazing things are waiting for all of us every single minute of our lives. We saw 20 minutes of surprise fireworks (right outside my kitchen window) and a parade of 500 motorcycles vrooming downtown, whose riders threw candy and toys to little kids on the street. And we thought we were just going to leave the restaurant and drive home! Instead, a wonderful event unfolded right in front of us.
So, watch carefully when seredipity appears magically in front of you. Stay close to the loved ones who help you realize that it can happen every day. And watch carefully, because an iron dragon or a parade may appear right in front of you when you least expect it.
Probably everyone has experienced this. You know how it goes; you are searching for one thing and suddenly something completely different and unexpected pops up in front of you. And it's fantastic! Or sometimes when you aren't looking, some wonderful thing all of sudden appears. Sometimes it's small and sometimes it's big. The important thing is that you realize that it's right there, in front of you.
A very memorable serendipidous event happened to me in 1994. On a Friday morning, I packed up my bags, my tent, and a case of beer, and headed to a secluded campground in the thumb area of Michigan for a girlie weekend with my sister and long-time gal-pals. After a night of way too many alcoholic indulgences, we crawled out of our tents, terribly hungover, and went on a hunt for a farmer's market that we'd heard from the campground owners was nearby. The gravel roads we travelled were often unmarked, and we found ourselves seemingly in the middle of nowhere, with no farmer's market in sight. Suddenly, a huge iron dragon came into view: it sat in front of a hill, 30-feet in height, with perfectly-welded scales, metal claws attached to upright forearms, and a long curly silver tongue thrusting from a huge gaping dragon mouth. Of course we all walked toward it (what WAS it doing in front of a hill in the middle of nowhere?). And then, without warning, a door opened right out of the grassy hill. A DOOR! A smiling woman came out, explaining that her husband, a metal artist, built the dragon and would we like to come in her house and see her pottery studio? It was too magical to refuse, so we followed the woman into the "house." This house was built into the berm, totally unseen from the road and covered with grass. It was a geodesic-dome style house, with hand-made mosaic countertops and stained-glass windows. And, a pristine vintage cherry-red 1966 VW bug Volkwagen in the garage. The owners were lovely and sweet, and we spent an hour chatting and marveling over their house. I remember we left being overwhelmed at the surprise "find", and to this day the four of us still talk about our serendipitous find on that beer-filled camping trip all those years ago.
How did this happen? Was it because 4 women, who shared a love and history that was almost magical, came together and caused some kind of serendipitous energy? Yes, I think so.
Some people just bring that energy into our lives. Those special people help us realize that wonderful and unexpected experiences are right outside our door and are available everyday if we just look for them, and we shouldn't be afraid to realize what we've just seen.
It happened again to me just this weekend, with a man who has helped me see just what beautiful and amazing things are waiting for all of us every single minute of our lives. We saw 20 minutes of surprise fireworks (right outside my kitchen window) and a parade of 500 motorcycles vrooming downtown, whose riders threw candy and toys to little kids on the street. And we thought we were just going to leave the restaurant and drive home! Instead, a wonderful event unfolded right in front of us.
So, watch carefully when seredipity appears magically in front of you. Stay close to the loved ones who help you realize that it can happen every day. And watch carefully, because an iron dragon or a parade may appear right in front of you when you least expect it.
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