It Is The End Of The Beginning
When they ask me to describe this moment I am going to tell them it is the end of the beginning and then when they scratch their heads and screw up their faces I’ll laugh and walk away.
The few that stick around and ask me to explain it will hear me rattle on about wishing I was like Aragorn and how if I was I would command the dead men of Dunharrow to come fight for me and then I’d go wipe out ISIS and other terror groups because that is the kind of man I am.
And if they pressed me to give them a more serious answer I’d probably talk about the Henry James quote above and then I’d throw in a couple more quotes that I have been thinking about lately, like the Emerson one just below this line.
Intention and decision work together.
And the David Whyte below this one.
I’d talk about how I am trying to blend pictures with words to tell a story I see inside my head and explain how it relates to me on a personal and professional level.
But I expect few people would really listen or be able to hear what it is I am saying or guess what it is I am striving for and I would think how interesting life is.
Because my son tells me all the time about how he is trying to figure out where he fits in at school and I am convinced that I no longer fit where I once did and am in the midst of the journey to where I do.
In large part I am operating off of gut feelings and trusting them not to steer me wrong but understanding that there is a process in getting there.
I always wanted to meet Dr. Seuss.
Life is the greatest adventure of all but you can’t and won’t notice it if you sleep through it. One of the goals is to recognize that sometimes it is the ordinary moments and things that are the most extraordinary.
So this is the end of the beginning for me because it is clear I am in the midst of the great journey to find the next place to hang my hat.
My mind and my eyes are open wide. Got my notebook, a pen and a camera and am making preparations for the next part of this journey.
Open minds…
Damien Riley December 21, 2014 at 7:50 pm
Wow, great inspiring quotes. My favorite is the Emerson quote. Hope you find that place to hang your hat and everything goes well with that.
Judy Lee Dunn December 20, 2014 at 10:03 am
You have beautifully captured one of those moments of transition we all experience in our lives from time to time. I, too, have been in a mode of deep reflection lately. I wanted to be a writer—and I still do—but I realize that I also want to speak out about issues that impact our world, and, specifically, the children of the world. Perhaps I can combine both, the writing and the issues, in a meaningful way. Who knows? This post touched me in a deep way. I know that you will eventually find that exact right spot to hang your hat, my friend.
The JackB December 20, 2014 at 1:04 pm
@judyleedunn:disqus Thank you. I don’t think there is any reason you can’t combine your desires. It seems to me there has to be a way to do so and that it is not necessary particularly complicated. Just requires a little thought about the best way to go about it.
Boy, I am ready to find that next place to hang my hat. Would feel a bit better if I had a timeline, but I am confident about finding it.
Julie December 20, 2014 at 4:35 am
I was just reading the NYT 52 places to go in 2014 and the images move. The leaves and the water are in motion, which is so much like being there but yet…obviously isn’t. I want to travel on my next section of the journey. It’s kind of fun being at the top of the rollercoaster (had two people describe it to me in exactly the same way this week).
The JackB December 20, 2014 at 12:59 pm
@JulieAClearSign:disqus 52 places to go in 2014? Well it sounds to me like you are running out of time. 🙂 Better get moving.