“Life’s short and we never have enough time for the hearts of those who travel the way with us. O, be swift to love! Make haste to be kind.” (Henri-Frederic Amiel)
A resolution for 2008: make more time for the hearts of those dear beloved few who travel the way with me. Thank you, all of you, for your patience, wisdom, and humor in 2007, and for sticking by me in 2008.
This was the sky midday – the iPhone took a turning-to-blue sky, with sun showing through rapidly moving clouds, and transformed it into this dramatic image.
Last day of the year.
“There are years that ask questions, and years that answer.”
– Zora Neale Thurston
2007 was a year that asked questions. I’m committed to patiently wait, as Rilke advises, until I live my way into the answers. A certain restlessness of spirit has been a part of this year for me – a sense that there is much within myself that I still need to discover and understand. While I am made anxious by this restlessness, I’m sure it’s better than feeling that all is known, complete, and certain. I have a definite sense that I have not yet hit my stride professionally; I suspect now that I may be in the wrong field altogether. We’ll see how this unfolds in 2008. While my inch-deep-mile-wide personality may never find a single thing it’s truly passionate about, I hope I can discover some small set of things that I am honestly engaged and challenged by. I’ve been coasting, I think, for far too long.
So – onward! I look forward to 2008 and all of the unknown developments, lessons, and adventures that are held in its days.
Something about the old year/new year transition seems to inspire lists in me (I know, so wildly out of character!)
My new year’s running mix, which I just test drove during a short run at dusk by the river (illustrative of my multipolar personality):
Cecilia – Simon & Garfunkel
Heaven is a Place on Earth – Belinda Carlisle
I Sing the Body Electric – Fame
Sister Golden Hair – America
Gimme More – Britney Spears
Same Old Lang Syne – Dan Fogelberg
Mississippi Girl – Faith Hill
The Logical Song – Supertramp
Clumsy – Fergie
I Walk the Line – Johnny Cash
My Love – Justin Timberlake
Buttons – Pussycat Dolls
Give it to Me – Timbaland
The Best – Tina Turner
Give a Little Bit – Supertramp
Am reading Pushed. Block is making the argument that one reason for the increase in c-sections is maternal desire for control.
It strikes me that my passionate commitment to natural delivery is very uncharacteristic for someone who’s so attached to control. It gives me hope that I instinctively chose the path that absolutely guaranteed I’d be utterly out of control. Perhaps this is a harbinger of eventually being better able to let go.
2008 books to read (tip of the iceberg, recommendations welcome):
The Last Colony (Scalzi)
Middlesex (Eugenides)
Pushed (Block)
The Middle Place (Corrigan)
The Power of Story (Loehr)
Twighlight of the Superheroes (Eisenberg)
Daniel Isn’t Talking (Leimbach)
Mountains Beyond Mountains (Kidder)
Gilead (Robinson)
The Nine (Toobin)
Bel Canto (Patchett)