A few minutes out of sequence today because I met dawn further west than usual.
After a 2am arrival and a 6am rising, it was tempting to cheat and take a sunrise photo from the hotel window. But - the challenge I took on calls for me to be outdoors, so I took a walk around the hotels, gas stations, Planet Fitness and Dunkin' Donuts. Got just a couple of pre-dawn photos before my battery died. Even amidst the generic commercial sprawl there are vantage points from which you still find beauty. The rising of morning light has not lost its wonder for me yet, even here.
a few minutes later the sun showed itself, but alas, no more power. Had to keep it in my mental memory.
I just saw off my husband and middle daughter, N., on a flight out west for a few days of skiing. It is an unprecedented treat for both of them who love skiing, exercise, the outdoors and adventure.
I suppose it is a common phenomenon these days, but every time I fly, or someone I love flies somewhere, there's a part of me that is held in suspense until a safe landing is confirmed, back on the ground. We Americans have been generally fortunate to feel safe most of the time, pretty much anywhere. Now there is that shade of concern - it may be exceedingly rare, but horrors happen. These are those times when an active imagination feels like a curse rather than an asset.
The art of compartmentalizing the mind is important. You have to learn to live with fears and worries and the occasional panic, yet carry on with life as usual on the outside. You just tuck them away in a corner, where they throb occasionally, demanding attention. But if you let them take over the room you'd go crazy, or at least live a very closeted life.
Once again, the routine of walking outdoors, looking for beauty, actively engaging in the day, and taking time to write are all a helpful distraction. It helps me feel grounded....as I wait for the safe re-grounding of those pieces of my heart that are still in flight.
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