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and may not be used or copied without permission
What keeps you sane? What keeps you ticking and strong when times are tough? What is the one thing you can turn to to help melt your troubles away? None of us are immune to the stresses of day to day living. Could be family, friends, work, or a health-related issue... we all go through rough patches. And even when we are not we still have tough days where we just want to take a few minutes and forget about our worries.
I have several methods of escape. I love a good soak in the tub, but sometimes I need to be physical. Sometimes I need to get out there and burn off some steam. This feeling is vastly different than the quiet time I require after a long and hectic day when I need to take a time out and relax.
I'm passionate about cooking, writing and photography and exercise.
When it comes to nervous energy I find that a good pair of running shoes and an iPod loaded up with great songs is exactly what I need. I can run as quickly or as slowly as I want. I can walk. But I prefer to move quickly as it kicks up the breezes that brush past my cheeks and blow through my hair. I love the solitude and serenity and tranquility of being by myself. I prefer to walk alone. It's not that I am anti-social but this is not a team sport. This is me needing to care for my body and my soul. My body reacts to the music and the tempo that sounds in my ears seems to adjust its pace accordingly. I sing along (and hope no one can hear me) and yet I'm thinking about a million other things. This is my time to think of answers, solutions to issues that have been plaguing me. And sometimes I think of nothing at all. How I love this. I love to have nothing to think about and to let my mind roam near and far and. I love to think of nothing but the blue sky ahead and the flowers on the paths, and the evergreens that line the street and provide shade from the sultry, steamy weather. I love to notice the beautiful bark on the tree to my left. I tell myself I will return to this spot but the next time with my camera.
I love to see the chipmunks scurry and scamper ahead and I love to watch the birds in all their colorful wonder fly on by. I'm lucky to be here, in my forest by the sea. Lucky indeed. I'm fortunate in that I have always been a positive person. My cup is always half full. I always stop to smell the roses. And sometimes I photograph them. I can never walk anywhere without appreciating the beauty all around me. I just don't understand how some people can. Each day I see something new, even if I'm on the same road I've traveled on over and over again. And each day I appreciate all that I do have. And even if life seems particularly difficult that day I remind myself just how fortunate I am.
I love the feel of my feet hitting the pavement as I run and how my heartbeat quickens and it seems the faster I go the the better I feel. Though I still find myself coming to a grounding stop. The shoulder that had surgery three months ago is getting stronger each and every day, but still it's there to remind me to slow down. And the jarring motion of the feet on pavement causes my shoulder to jar in a most peculiar way. So I slow to a walk and catch my breath ... healing is a process and takes time... body and soul. I finish up by walking home. I feel energized and not at all defeated. I am growing stronger, body and soul. Sooner or later my shoulder will be stronger and I will be stronger and I'll run the distance. I don't really care if it takes a while as I'm quite enjoying the journey along the way. As I turn the the corner and head off the street and on to my cul-de-sac I listen to the next song on the iPod... John Mayer's Say What You Need to Say comes next. I croon along and listen as the lyrics seem to ring so very true. It's funny how that is, how every song seems to mimic some part of our lives. I never really paid attention to this until the day I learned that my friend Mandy died in a fiery plane crash on Martha's Vineyard. That afternoon James Taylor's Fire and Rain came on the the radio. As the song ends I turn onto our driveway and start the steep climb. My body feels good so does my soul.
I also need an outlet for this creativity.Without it I feel stifled and caged. I need to be creating and while I would love nothing more than to be able to write and photograph every day, I know this cannot be the case as both are time consuming and oftentimes alienating activities. But when I do write or take a picture that has perfectly captured an image or a moment in time, there is no better feeling! This is one of the reasons I have this blog. It's a means of being able to express myself exactly as I want to. I can write and post whatever it is that comes to my mind... Now, if only I could blog and run at the same time!