Yesterday I took Jack for his morning walk and found this sweet little neighborhood tucked away off of South Road I never even knew existed. Jack was thrilled because in the center of the neighborhood there was this amazing “strip” – quite large that had little walking paths, a walking bridge, gardens, little gazebo’s, & sweet little benches to sit on. Nothing about this area was uniform … it was very organic looking, and had this wilder kind of magic feel to it vs. a sterile look that you see sometimes when you come across something created for urban consumption.
I wondered about it…
Who had created it? Was is co-created with the neighbors? How took care of it? Clearly it was maintained and someone was making it beautiful and keeping it that way…
It was a created from love … for the local neighborhood community to enjoy? … how lovely.
Then as I was walking further I came across this beautiful land… it was wild and lush and impressive juxtaposed against the stark path cute through it’s center. Where did it lead? Who was creating these random acts of beauty?
I took it all in as as I walked.. ( I happened to have been listening to a pod cast on NPR about “What Makes People Happy?” LOL).
For me; stumbling on beauty certainly does… but I also know first hand that creating something for others to enjoy is also something that can make me wildly happy. Co- creating, collaborating, conversing, sharing, and being with others who dare to share them selves authentically or dare to fail because they took a risk is all up there high on my “what makes me happy” list…
My revelation for today as I continue to cut my own path through the lush landscape of my life is that these beautiful territories are everywhere in the world. In order to discover them first I have to be willing to explore outside of my own neighborhood – duh.
This short walk also exposed me to thoughts and points of view that make me think and feel more deeply:
I don’t want my life’s path to look uniform, tidy, and *perfect*- I don’t want to keep up with the Jones, or make sure I look like everyone else. I want to love my own organic beauty, and my own acts of creation, and call them as I experience them. I want to be able to stand and appreciate another’s path, their creation, or what makes them happy… sometimes sharing the joy of life as something in common with another person, just as often as I touch upon and appreciate the un-common weather it be in myself… or in someone else.
Despite what’s happening in the world – on The Today Show, The New York Times, CNN or In Style Magazine… I have my own current events to share with others, my own interpretation of the world, my own style, and most importantly my own choices to make as to how I want to live, who I want to be, where I want to explore and who I want to travel with. I’m here to honor my path where ever it should take me, as you are here to honor yours….
