A Theme for 2007

At the end of every year, I invent a theme for the next year. Themes are great. I highly recommend them. They are a little like pets... a dog or a cat. Just when you get caught up in the whirlwind of life, overwhelmed by details, or maybe when you get bored or lost and don't know what step to take next, your theme will climb up beside you on the sofa, give you a little nuzzle and look up at you with its big, loving eyes in an expectant way and then you remember to feed it and, suddenly, all is right with the world again.

In 2006, my theme was being peaceful and complete and doing little things that make me happy. After a hectic and unsettling 2005, it was the perfect theme to get me refocused on my own well-being and happiness. I gave myself a break from lofty aspirations. I took up knitting. (I love yarn. So many wondeful textures and colors!) I visited my family twice as much as in previous years. (I love my family. So many quirks and strange personalities!) I saw 2 Cirque du Soleil shows: "O" and "Corteo". (Thanks, Leese!) All in all, my theme did its job and on December 31st, I said goodbye, patted it on the head, and sent it off into the world to find a new human to look after. (It may still be looking, so if you need a theme for the year, I can vouch for it.)

My theme for 2007 is Beauty and Abundance. Yay! I love those words. It's a new theme, so we are just getting used to each other. So far, it is behaving like a purebred. I'll keep you posted on our antics.

Komodo Dragons

So, always the optimist, my friend, Julie, sent me this link.

Surprise! Dragons DO exist!
http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/science/01/24/komodo.births.ap/index.html

(Anyone up for a creation vs. evolution debate? I am a big believer in evolutionary creation myself.)

And, because I am slightly brain-numbed tonight from staring at a computer screen all day, I am going to leave you with this link... they will do the entertaining for me. (Thanks, Eric...)

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4212094683742174133&q=Men+in+coats

An introduction...

One thing you should know about me right off the bat: I am in love with the world. I love being here. I really do. The animals on this planet are just stunning! (Anyone who has seen the Nature program on Bower Birds will know exactly what I mean.) And the flowers... wow... nothing makes me happier than a yard full of jewelweed and daylilies. And words... aren't words great? I have so many favorite words! Here are a three of thousands: oubliette, ricochet, frisky.

I haven't always been this way. There have been times in my life when I wish I was living another life, somewhere in another story...

I grew up reading fantasy novels. My dad put Dragons of Autumn Twilight in my hands when I was about 8 years old and I fell into the world of books. Anything with the word Chronicle in it... I read. I loved books that would pull me out of the mundane world of school and, (sorry Mom), church to transport me to a place littered with fairies, elves, jabberwockies, or vampires. As a matter of fact, the only time my parents were called into a parent/teacher conference was due to the fact that I was reading too much in class.

The greatest tragedy of my young life was not discovering that Santa Claus wasn't real. It was when I finally had to admit to myself that dragons weren't real. It may sound silly, but I went though a period of profound sadness. I grieved over the non-existence of my favorite creature for quite a while. I think I was even a little angry at the universe. Life just seemed less majestic without them. But, soon, I had other things to think about like boyfriends and college applications.

I went though many years of small, grey, ordinary thoughts about the world. It just wasn't living up to my expectations! Where was the magic? Where were the heros? Where was the wise and noble mentor who would lead me into adventures that would bring out the nobility in me? Dammit, someone is just not writing this story correctly! *sigh*

Perspective.

Now there's a magic word.

(Doesn't quite have the poetic ring of Expelliarmus! does it?)

Somewhere in there, I finally got some perspective.

It was a mix of things really... a chemical reaction of different ingredients. The Landmark Forum. Joseph Campbell. Steve Irwin. Neil Gaiman. My family. My own desire to be an adventurer in an exotic world.

In the 9th grade, at the behest of the family doctor, my mom took me to get a pair of glasses. Those of you who have glasses or contacts will probably remember that wonderful moment when you put on your first pair. I couldn't believe that the world was actually that sharp, that crisp! I could see for miles! I had no idea backgrounds were actually as detailed as they were. It was a moment of pure delight.

Getting my perspective was similar to that moment, happening over a much longer period of time, but just as delightful. I see the world differently now. I see the magic in this world. A story is just as powerful as a spell. We don't have sorcerers. We have writers and speakers. We don't have unicorns. We have giraffes. We don't have transporters. We have the Internet. We don't have Sam and Frodo. We have Lewis and Clark, Amelia Earhart, Houdini, Marie Curie, Albert Einstein, Salah al-Din, Ferdinand Magellan, Joan of Arc, Cirque du Soleil...

I am not a hero. I am a seeker of wonders.

It's a great world. I'm glad I am here.