Thursday, November 10, 2005
Thursday Nov. 10, 2005 - Year 3, Day 235 - THIS day
+5C / 41F, snow melts as warm Chinook winds make their statement, morning sunrise populates clouds with bold purple, pink & magenta lighting my western sky; it looks like a masterpiece – in 20 minutes it will be changed, never to be repeated exactly the same
THIS day, this incredible one of a kind day begins, never to be repeated exactly the same
this day is not ‘just a Thursday’ or any Thursday . . or just another set of 24 hours
like that dawn sky, my original masterpiece ‘THIS day’ begins as blank canvas/page every day
I can paint whatever I want or leave it blank
I can make it a day of rest, play, work; I can make it a day when I reach out or I can make it a day to hide-out
I can initiate many things . . . or avoid it all
I can start something, or finish something or change direction completely several times during the day . . or before lunch; these many choices intermingled with the choices others make will determine whether something worthy of hanging somewhere special will result at day’s end or if it will just leave me with 24 hours less in my life with nothing fresh created
24 hours - too precious to waste sitting on my hands, my mouth or holding back on what I want to do, say or accomplish
whatever I paint today, I’ll surely paint another tomorrow
and the day after that; and the day after that, but why waste today’s opportunity ?
what causes us to take a particular path, choose a career, move from here to there?
sometimes those series of multiple collisions of random events, sometimes ‘decisions du jour’ made for reasons that seemed important at the time take us somewhere very special, take us on a winter picnic . .
uncharted paths diverging in the wood beyond what Frost could have ever dreamed
everyone has their own crooked path with sharp changes in direction, each as unique as a snowflake or a finger print . . no 2 alike
such divergent paths - we each have them – compound when we meet others with equally randomly chosen paths
will we intersect . . will we picnic ? . . or just paint them over leaving a brief image in yesterday’s canvas but not today’s ?
magical opportunities present themselves every day, though we don’t often recognize them
I try try hard to look less & see more, to see those opportunities, see them & put them up on my canvas – exploring possibilities
when I connect with people who, had either of us made a single different step along the way, would never have had an opportunity to meet, I feel adrenaline flow
not because I have any notion of where that connection might go, but thrilled to know I will learn lots & likely see a change of some sort to my life as a result; maybe it will only be a splash on my canvas for 1 day never to appear again, but likely something more indelible
a single step brings us closer . . while a step in the other direction doubles the distance apart
my random life is richer today, not because of what I did yesterday, but because of what I will do today, which brings me to ‘what will I do today?’ , but because I am ready to picnic !
clearly the pile of sequential organized priority items piled on the corner of my desk will get attention – the sequence will probably be altered at least twice before 9 AM if the phone doesn’t ring; likely 4 or 5 changes if it does
my point, yes I have one, is this:
my masterpiece can neither be planned or predicted
my masterpiece will include energy & care & randomness & beauty & truth
what will yours be made of ?
rear view mirror thinking is not something I do lots of, but tomorrow why don’t we all look back to see what kind of masterpiece our today was ?
[note: since I started drafting this I’ve received 2 emails from Krista [my gawd she is so excited about her new job & new love & move] & 1 a catch up note from KT confirming all is well in PV; the 2nd email from Krista included a 5 minute video clip that EVERY Canadian should see this remembrance day; it is a big-honkin file so I cannot attach it but I will send to anyone who asks - my canvas changed already & it’s just 8 AM ]
Mark
THIS day, this incredible one of a kind day begins, never to be repeated exactly the same
this day is not ‘just a Thursday’ or any Thursday . . or just another set of 24 hours
like that dawn sky, my original masterpiece ‘THIS day’ begins as blank canvas/page every day
I can paint whatever I want or leave it blank
I can make it a day of rest, play, work; I can make it a day when I reach out or I can make it a day to hide-out
I can initiate many things . . . or avoid it all
I can start something, or finish something or change direction completely several times during the day . . or before lunch; these many choices intermingled with the choices others make will determine whether something worthy of hanging somewhere special will result at day’s end or if it will just leave me with 24 hours less in my life with nothing fresh created
24 hours - too precious to waste sitting on my hands, my mouth or holding back on what I want to do, say or accomplish
whatever I paint today, I’ll surely paint another tomorrow
and the day after that; and the day after that, but why waste today’s opportunity ?
what causes us to take a particular path, choose a career, move from here to there?
sometimes those series of multiple collisions of random events, sometimes ‘decisions du jour’ made for reasons that seemed important at the time take us somewhere very special, take us on a winter picnic . .
uncharted paths diverging in the wood beyond what Frost could have ever dreamed
everyone has their own crooked path with sharp changes in direction, each as unique as a snowflake or a finger print . . no 2 alike
such divergent paths - we each have them – compound when we meet others with equally randomly chosen paths
will we intersect . . will we picnic ? . . or just paint them over leaving a brief image in yesterday’s canvas but not today’s ?
magical opportunities present themselves every day, though we don’t often recognize them
I try try hard to look less & see more, to see those opportunities, see them & put them up on my canvas – exploring possibilities
when I connect with people who, had either of us made a single different step along the way, would never have had an opportunity to meet, I feel adrenaline flow
not because I have any notion of where that connection might go, but thrilled to know I will learn lots & likely see a change of some sort to my life as a result; maybe it will only be a splash on my canvas for 1 day never to appear again, but likely something more indelible
a single step brings us closer . . while a step in the other direction doubles the distance apart
my random life is richer today, not because of what I did yesterday, but because of what I will do today, which brings me to ‘what will I do today?’ , but because I am ready to picnic !
clearly the pile of sequential organized priority items piled on the corner of my desk will get attention – the sequence will probably be altered at least twice before 9 AM if the phone doesn’t ring; likely 4 or 5 changes if it does
my point, yes I have one, is this:
my masterpiece can neither be planned or predicted
my masterpiece will include energy & care & randomness & beauty & truth
what will yours be made of ?
rear view mirror thinking is not something I do lots of, but tomorrow why don’t we all look back to see what kind of masterpiece our today was ?
[note: since I started drafting this I’ve received 2 emails from Krista [my gawd she is so excited about her new job & new love & move] & 1 a catch up note from KT confirming all is well in PV; the 2nd email from Krista included a 5 minute video clip that EVERY Canadian should see this remembrance day; it is a big-honkin file so I cannot attach it but I will send to anyone who asks - my canvas changed already & it’s just 8 AM ]
Mark
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