“Everybody has a secret world inside of them. I mean everybody. No matter how dull and boring they are on the outside. Inside them they’ve all got unimaginable, magnificent, wonderful, stupid, amazing worlds… Not just one world. Hundreds of them. Thousands, maybe.”
~ Neil Gaiman
Don’t you wonder what secret world Scout is imagining? He’s not talking so we will never know.
The road to Columbus yesterday was paved with orange cones and construction dust. Gridlock marked the route home too as we inched along through backed up traffic.
As a self proclaimed country mouse, I like to visit cities for the fun attractions, shopping and good old fashioned change of scenery. Yet I’m always so very glad to escape the traffic woes and the troubles that come with cramming too many people into a small area.
Today’s picture is a pleasant reminder that there can be quiet and calm to be found once you reach your city destination. It’s from a recent trip to the Dayton Art Institute where we had a relaxing and quiet visit with the artwork.
Wherever you are today, I hope you’re not stuck in traffic!
And here you are, despite the setbacks, stepping into a chapter of life more beautiful than you could ever imagine.
Unknown
As you step into this fresh chapter, remember to hope for the best, prepare for the worst, and embrace a really big dream. Someone recently told me that big dreams are the only ones worth having.
He’s really smart so I believe him.
There’s something to be said for trusting someone else’s expertise.
I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately.
Trusting someone else’s knowledge and experience is not really what Americans do these days. In fact, we are more likely to self diagnose our own ailments than see a real medical professional. So, we certainly aren’t likely to ask a server to whip us up something they think we will like. Yet, that’s exactly what I did last week.
It has been a couple of weeks since I felt rested and I reached an all time low of exhaustion a few days ago.. Luckily, I decided to seek professional help when I finally broke one day at work.
No, I didn’t see my doctor or a sleep specialist. I had a conversation with the barista at the coffee shop in town. I explained that I needed something to help me wake up, focus and feel better but I dislike coffee and tea. Chocolate and anything fruity would be great. She asked a few questions and, before I knew it, was on my way with something delicious.
It was some kind of natural lotus energy drink made with club soda, strawberries and cream flavor and real pureed strawberries. You know something? It was delicious! Plus, the natural energy source never led to jitters or a crash and the carbonation made it fun to drink!
I sipped it all morning, enjoying this refreshing treat as well as the way it made me feel.
Would I have found this drink on my own? Maybe. However, this place has such a large selection of drinks and ingredients that it would have taken a while.
It sounds strange but I was exhausted beyond compare and incredibly grateful to that young lady for helping me find something that I would enjoy and that would sustain me through the day. By the time I made it to the coffee shop, I was near tears and wouldn’t have made it without the boost.
This is a silly little story about something that doesn’t matter to anyone but me. After all, the risk was low and, if I disliked the results, the loss was just a few dollars. But are there other opportunities in our lives to relax our grip and let someone show us what they do best? There’s something to be said for doing just that.
We might be better off if we tried once in a while.
I wrote something for today but it was fueled by exhaustion. I’m long overdue for a vacation or maybe just a good night’s sleep. While I ruminate over whether or not I want to publish a piece that’s kind of personal but that would likely resonate with many of you, I give you this one very small suggestion.
Do yourself a favor.
Step away from all the screens in your life. Turn off the tv. Put down your phone. Step away from your computer.
Now read something. Anything that is printed on a tangible piece of paper. A novel for escapism, a non-fiction book for education or a printed newspaper for the sake of understanding something that is happening in the world around you.
Ask questions. Be curious. Seek to understand what doesn’t meet the eye. Do something that will make you smarter or happier or just better informed than you’ll be with the garbage fed to you by social media and televised opinions that are masqueraded as news.
If you don’t want to do this, walk outside. Go for a hike, hit the swings at the park, wave to your neighbors from your front porch.
I honestly don’t care what you do. Just find a way to either better your mind or to ground yourself in the outdoors.
It may not make sense to you at this moment but it may after you have done it.
What do you have to lose?
It felt like fall when we hiked near home in the Hocking Hills of Ohio last night. Breezy and cool with occasional pops of color in the quiet woods made for perfect conditions.
I wouldn’t hate summer so much if it were more like this!
We all know this is Fool’s Fall. Summer will return with a vengeance on Saturday and I will be angry again. But I’ll enjoy this respite while it lasts and will look forward to the real deal in a few weeks.
It’s Wednesday, friends. Try to make it a good one!