Monday, March 26, 2012

Quote of the Day



“Let us so live
that when we come to die
even the undertaker will be sorry.” 
                                             Mark Twain

Each of us will meet our end at some point. When I visit a cemetery, I realize that all of those people, from all of those decades before me, went through their lives with that understanding.

However, like most of us, they probably didn't internalize it. It was just a fact, but not something they believed at their cores. Most of them probably didn't wake up on the day chiseled in that stone knowing it was their last one. They met their fates through accidents and illnesses, not seeing them coming, or believing there would be a recuperation.

I've always been hyper-aware of the fragility of life. So much to do in this lifetime...

Until I pulled these photos up tonight, to choose one for this post, I hadn't noticed the bluebird on top of the headstone. I took a series of these photos in Kentucky at an old cemetery - more for the daffodils than anything else. Tonight I noticed the bluebird and couldn't resist using this photo.

Bluebirds are considered a good omen, indicating contentment, hope and - of course - the bluebird of happiness. Maybe he's telling me I'll get time to do all the things I want to do in this lifetime.

-----
Connect with me on Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest

Highway 183, projects and sleep



I have been on the road for a couple of days. I went to Phillipsburg, Kansas, to teach social media to a great group of folks. I drove out on Friday, and spent Saturday with them. I enjoy doing these sorts of things, so always love it when the opportunity presents itself.

There's a magic to me in the open road. On a trip of sufficient length I can disengage my brain a little bit and let it float free. That's when I come up with interesting projects, and coalesce ideas from various sources into something new.

This trip wasn't quite long enough, and had too many stops along the way to get into that zone. I feel the urge for one of those longer trips soon. It's not just my imagination, science tells us that, indeed, activities like driving allow us to access parts of the brain that are less readily available to us. There are other ways to get them engaged, too, and I think I need to be more diligent about doing that. I feel a bit scattered.



It seems I keep making one list after another and crossing things off, only to replace them with other things. Yet, projects around my house remain in limbo. I'm not sure how to find more hours in the day. I need more time for reading, writing, painting and other creative pursuits. I also need to spend some time just getting my house in order and fully organized.

Plus, I keep thinking of creative projects I'd like to accomplish. It seems the list grows and grows.

I have a little car issue I'm hoping to get taken care of tomorrow. This on the heels of what could have been a very major car issue last weekend. Lets just say that the fact that I'm still here on the planet is a testament to the fact that I lead a charmed existence!

Well, I suppose I should get some sleep. It's after 1 a.m. Ironically, I'm listening to a recorded TV show about sleep deprivation. Frankly, I'm tired of hearing about how we're supposed to be unconscious for a third of our lives. I can't even get everything done now that I want to do. How can I possibly do it if I spend more hours not doing anything every day?

-----
Connect with me on Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest