An adventure with fuses

In August, when my daughter and youngest child went off to college, I made a declaration:  This is “The Year of the Cindy”.   I got the idea from a lovely lady in my Artist’s Way class.  That course is normally set up to be 12 weeks in duration, and our class is brilliantly spread out over 12 months.  Each week, or in our case, each month, the intent is to “Recover a Sense of (something)”.  That (something) could be Identity, Possibility, Abundance, Compassion…whatever the “artist within” needs to find again.  The theme is different, and amazingly perfect, each month.  Despite that I’m not a fan of the damn morning pages that are part of the program; actually DOING them is what has the course work.  Who could have guessed that half way through My Year, I would decide to move?  I hate moving.

As adventures would have it, I moved out of the suburb that I raised my family in since 1987 to…yes, one suburb over AND a rival school district.  My children may think I’ve completely lost my mind, yet it’s going on Day 4 and they’re still talking to me.

The night my final boxes and furniture were dropped off somewhere under my new roof by my gracious, generous friends and family who suffered the logistics of this move, I went to pick up some groceries.  I  couldn’t stop smiling in the store…thinking back to “when the heck was the last time I shopped for food for just me, anyway?”  The light bulb came on in that instant.  Wow.  It was in college.  I really get to make this MY exciting, uplifting, confusing, freeing adventure.  What an identity shift from my “roles” as mom, etc. to this newfound identity.  Of course, declaring an adventure, the Universe decided to help.  

The next official full day of living in Boxland, on Day 1, I learned that a space heater and hair dryer are not compatible to be “on” at the same time with the same circuit.  I also learned that all the houses I’ve lived in have circuit breakers that need the switch flipped to turn on the power again.   The circuit box was much more colorful than a bunch of black switches…it contained little round fuses of all different colors, letters and numbers.  First initiation into my new town:  the young guys at the local hardware store are amazing, despite the school rivalry thing.

What IS it with THIS particular adventure?  I feel happier and more inspired with each passing day.  Declarations (i.e. standing for something to “be” in the face of no evidence) do that.   They have an energy of their own that can make hassles turn to minor details.  The power from the bathroom also affected the garage door, which I realized as the garbage truck slowed down wondering where the container was for pickup.  Good thing it’s stupid cold and nothing is going to get ripe before next week in that container like it would August.  Another blessing?  Yes. 

On Day 2, I found my silverware.  “Stuff” is beginning to migrate to the rooms where it/they will be living.  On Day 3, I now have a path through my kitchen!  What normally would be impatience in my world has a happy calmness, and despite sleep deprivation, this transition continues to be EASY – because I said so.

Where in your life have you “blown a fuse” only to find out that your known “remedy” is no longer an option?  Is it a source of aggravation?  Do you consider it a “learning moment”?  Could it be a fun way to explore wherever the solution resides with ease and interest?  Could you choose to wrap yourself in a “happiness blanket” despite your circumstances and see what other graces then come your way with that attitude? 

We’re only five short weeks into 2011.  How would it be for YOU to declare from now until next February, “The Year of [YOU]”?  Kindly let me know how it goes for you!  In the meantime, I get to anticipate Day 4 of whatever the “Move Adventure” has in store.  If you haven't started, make your adventure happen today, too!

BE the Inspiration YOU are...

Cindy