Missing In Action…

I haven’t written much since early 2024. I’m not sure if I’m losing the desire to write. Maybe I haven’t had anything in particular to post that I haven’t already posted. I only know I’ve had little desire to write, to express, which as a creative, is highly unusual (and unhealthy, if you ask me). With nine years of posts, you still have plenty to catch up on and learn.

Life threw me a big curveball early last year (story of my life) and I’ve had to make adjustments. Life is like that, sometimes. Best to go with the flow to avoid over-stressing the system. Change is the one constant, remember? Going with the flow, accepting what is, even if we don’t like it at first, is crucial to getting through the chaos to the calm (which always follows chaos, it’s the natural flow of things).

One by One…

Once the calm has arrived, you can once again set achievable goals (I prefer the small ones, they’re easier to reach and maintain) so you feel like you’re moving forward, until the next round of chaos (read: change) sets in, as it always does. I have found that taking those small, steady movements (short-term, doable goals) toward the completion of a larger goal (e.g., going home) keeps up the momentum. I feel like I’m accomplishing something as opposed to doing nothing and waiting it all out. That never works, as I found out the hard way last year.

It has become more important these days that I get all my ducks in a row. I think it has more to do with age than anything else. Turns out, I like some semblance of order, some predictability to my life, since most of my adventuring days are behind me. Getting my ducks in a row has been an overriding theme for the last four years as I continue the struggle to find a way out of California and make for HOME.

It started with replacing broken down cardboard book boxes (ruined by moisture, cold, humidity) in storage, crushed by the weight of other heavy book boxes. Every weekend, I buy one or two file containers (they’re a good size that I can lift without hurting my back) and put my books in new containers. And they stack one on top of the other easily, so now I have a nice pile of clear boxes and can find a book if needed. Small goal turned into a big accomplishment. And then…

It Only Takes One Duck to Get the Ball Rolling…

…Duck #1 came to me a few weeks ago. I came out of a Whole Foods just after dark and as I approached my car, I saw something sitting on the driver door handle. It was a little yellow rubber ducky in a Pink Jeep! Evidently, Jeep owners of a certain younger generation love to do something called “getting ducked.” If you’re a Jeep owner (in some states, it’s only for Wrangler owners; in other states, like CA, it’s for any Jeep owner), you might get this ducky with a Jeep-shaped card attached that reads “Nice Ride!” on one side and on the other side a handwritten note. Mine read “Happy Valentine’s Day!” Needless to say, I had a good laugh.

And a good start to my latest get-all-my-ducks-in-a-row adventure.

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