As the winding path turns into a blog post

Every morning, I show up to write, to create, to be a blogger.  So yeah, I’m an artist of sorts, I tell myself.

Man…it has to be tough to be a real artist?  You know, like the ones who go to school to be Artists?  Maybe the creation of art comes to them easier than it does to me?

To create, to dream, to be an artist?  How do they do it?  I’ll never really know?

Despite my lack of expertise, I give it my best shot.  I pause, and focus, and keep an eye out for ideas.

I stay here on my learning-as-I-go track, but some days I get sidetracked.  Being a blogger of that sorts, I find it is easy to wander, meander, and sniff away at randomness.

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There is so much to discover, like a cat on the prowl, I’m off to find ideas.

Focus…focus…focus…stay on track.

At a spider’s pace, my thoughts often race.  Yet, somehow, each day, popping out of the random corners of my mind, I find quirky ideas to write about.

Today, in a flash I saw out of the corner of my eye…a blurry movement…ewe, was that what I think it is?  I can’t possibly focus enough to write if there’s a spider about…what if it jumps at me?

Yep!  I pause to stare off toward its space on the wall.  Yikes, it is a spider!  It stops in its tracks as if it knows that I’m watching it…and it poses for the I’ll catch you little rascal in action moment.

In that brief moment, I took a chance to run on the off-track path and I grabbed my camera.  I wondered if it is a worthy topic to write about?  Where, oh, where will I find the words to describe how lucky I am to be here to capture something as gross creepy simple as a spider I caught with my little ol’ camera?  All the time fighting the urge to smash the damn thing instead.

I let it go to see what path it will take.  The cat will catch it later…

It disappeared and I smiled…my lucky moment with the spider ran out.  My fleeting thoughts are often like that.  I know it, just like any future clarity of thought, it and my thoughts will reappear landing somewhere else…

I sigh, oh my…how time can fly by when I try to write a blog post…

I glance again to see if that was a spider moving again?  And my eyes settle instead on the frame on my wall.

Sarah Mae made me this piece of art.  I mailed her the dried 4 leaf clover I had found while out on a walk.  She said, “Yes, Mom! I can place it in a handmade piece of paper, and then you can frame it.  She made the paper with her own two hands.  That little clover represents to me how luck and creativity combine into a beautiful piece of art at the hands of an artist.  My own little grown-up artist.  I We created her, don’t you know?

Every morning, I look at that frame as I write my blog posts.  It reminds me to continue to grow, to continue to notice small things, and to pause long enough at the simple things in life.  The tiny things remind me of how I got here, they help me remember how lucky it is to be alive, and how I am able to find moments in life worthy of a frame on the wall.

Those years flew by while she was away at college.  They were growing years for all of us, that’s for sure.  But did they prepare us me for all of the empty nest stages?  In a way, I think so.  I hope so.

But they weren’t the be-all or end-all for the stages ahead on this path.  There will be more twists and turns, and ups and downs in our empty nest life.  Both of our daughters teach us about the importance of taking discovery adventures.

And yes, no matter how hard I try to hold them back, our kids will keep growing and changing too.  So will we.

And as I let pauses of reflection happen, there will be tiny droplets of tears flowing when I reminisce about how fast life goes by.  They dry more quickly now that I’m getting more used to this new path in life.  Then I notice…I’m not alone in the droplets of growth…

 

Enough for today, my allotted time slot has reached an end.  Another blog post has been written.  I stayed on track long enough for it to be good enough to share.

I’m off to consider my next writing and photography opportunity just waiting to be found by me, the little ol’ learning-as-I-go blogger.  My approach doesn’t box me in.  It helps me stay on the track of growth, even if I’m in the empty nest aging season of life, I don’t know it all, there’s much to learn…

Post inspiration – #MyBlogMyWriting Style 30-Day Blogging Challenge (rules here), words of the day ‘getting back on track’ and the question of the day – “How do you get back on track when you’ve gotten off course?” & Len’s Artist Challenge – Tina’s prompt:  Path.

PS – Share your paths of discovery in the comments – links are welcome!  How about you, how do you stay on track or get back on track when you’re off course?