thursday
16 When you were graduating from school, what did you think your life would look like at your age now? Does it match?
When I graduated from high school I could only imagine life as going to work at Polk, earning money to send myself to college, and then after that (someday, in a dream world) making my living as an artist. It took a lot longer to get to the point of making money from art than I thought it would and I never did make enough money with it to make a living from it. I took a lot of detours to get here. I'm not disappointed though. I don't think I ever did have the drive to be a "successful" (making enough money to support myself) artist. That takes a lot of promoting and schmoozing. And maybe harder work than I was willing to put into it. I'm too much of an introvert for the promoting that I needed to do. Though I could say I am successful in other ways. I'm satisfied.
Moving on...
Hiking with Rainy is on the agenda and then continue painting glaze in the basement.
*****
Later... Back from hiking now.
I put a hold on posting this earlier. I wanted to think more about the question. The question wasn't, "Did you think you would find a career that would be a success when you got out of high school?". It was asking what did I think my life would look like when I got to be 67. I always figured I would have kids, and that I would have animals in my life. That I would live in the country. That I would do something with art, or with my hands. That I might write. Poetry? I hoped that by the time I was "old" (67 counts as old I would think) that I would have found god, or nirvana, or my center, or a peaceful place inside me, found the real me. I hoped that I would become a wise and good person. Some of those things have happened. I suppose writing here on LJ counts as writing. I wish I wrote more poetry. I wish I lived even farther out in the country. I'm not wise or good yet. I'm not at peace very often. I'm not done yet though. I hope I still have some time to work on that stuff.
*****
Rainy and I had a good hike. I wanted to see if I could find a path that would take me to the other side of Splane Run. I did find it. I had to go across the creek though. I carried Rainy. When I wear my sandals I don't care about getting my feet wet so it was okay. I'm getting to the place where I know the trails at Two Mile Run enough that I don't carry a map anymore. I just park somewhere and try to find a path I've never taken before and see where it goes. It usually eventually goes to a place I recognize and then I know how to return to the car. I've come a long way from being afraid to hike alone. I like being alone better cause now I don't feel like I am inconveniencing another person if I end up going through thick brush, or I get lost for a while, or if I have to turn back because the trail peters out. If I'm out there for many hours or more miles that I planned it's only my problem. I don't have to feel bad for another person.
Here's a picture of Rainy I took early this morning. I liked how sunlight coming through a stained glass window colored the wall.
When I graduated from high school I could only imagine life as going to work at Polk, earning money to send myself to college, and then after that (someday, in a dream world) making my living as an artist. It took a lot longer to get to the point of making money from art than I thought it would and I never did make enough money with it to make a living from it. I took a lot of detours to get here. I'm not disappointed though. I don't think I ever did have the drive to be a "successful" (making enough money to support myself) artist. That takes a lot of promoting and schmoozing. And maybe harder work than I was willing to put into it. I'm too much of an introvert for the promoting that I needed to do. Though I could say I am successful in other ways. I'm satisfied.
Moving on...
Hiking with Rainy is on the agenda and then continue painting glaze in the basement.
*****
Later... Back from hiking now.
I put a hold on posting this earlier. I wanted to think more about the question. The question wasn't, "Did you think you would find a career that would be a success when you got out of high school?". It was asking what did I think my life would look like when I got to be 67. I always figured I would have kids, and that I would have animals in my life. That I would live in the country. That I would do something with art, or with my hands. That I might write. Poetry? I hoped that by the time I was "old" (67 counts as old I would think) that I would have found god, or nirvana, or my center, or a peaceful place inside me, found the real me. I hoped that I would become a wise and good person. Some of those things have happened. I suppose writing here on LJ counts as writing. I wish I wrote more poetry. I wish I lived even farther out in the country. I'm not wise or good yet. I'm not at peace very often. I'm not done yet though. I hope I still have some time to work on that stuff.
*****
Rainy and I had a good hike. I wanted to see if I could find a path that would take me to the other side of Splane Run. I did find it. I had to go across the creek though. I carried Rainy. When I wear my sandals I don't care about getting my feet wet so it was okay. I'm getting to the place where I know the trails at Two Mile Run enough that I don't carry a map anymore. I just park somewhere and try to find a path I've never taken before and see where it goes. It usually eventually goes to a place I recognize and then I know how to return to the car. I've come a long way from being afraid to hike alone. I like being alone better cause now I don't feel like I am inconveniencing another person if I end up going through thick brush, or I get lost for a while, or if I have to turn back because the trail peters out. If I'm out there for many hours or more miles that I planned it's only my problem. I don't have to feel bad for another person.
Here's a picture of Rainy I took early this morning. I liked how sunlight coming through a stained glass window colored the wall.