Monday, October 24, 2011

back to writing some

I have been avoiding writing for a while. I think I just got tired of it but things just kept coming up and here I am at the keyboard. In the space of a week I went from the lowest low to the highest high and in hindsight it's all good. The lows surrounded a rejection in the art field. After all these years in the arts, you think I would have gotten use to it and not let it get to me this time. But it did. Not for too long though. I friend of mine made comment at the perfect moment that rejection is like a bee sting, it hurts for a bit then it goes away. That certainly was the truth and then I just move on. Cause it is so very subjective.

Now the highs. It wasn't easy to get there but it was so delicious. I was leading a group of people paddling on the Indian River, here in Florida this past weekend. We started out with 15 and 5 almost made it to our destination. It was so windy and white caps on the river, that after the first 5 went back, the rest of us went a bit further then stopped and I told the rest, that if it was up to me, I would go not further. I would't be out in a kayak in these conditions. 5 more left. And the rest wanted to forge on. It was blowing 10 to 15 knots, paddling into a strong wind, waves breaking over my bow. I realized how dumb I was, that I had no pump, sponge or skirt for the boat. One wave broadside and I would be in trouble. And I was the leader. I did all that I could to head straight into the waves. We got as far as we could in these conditions, about 3 miles when we had to turn back. The wind and waves were getting stronger.

On the way back I put my paddle up on my kayak and let the wind and waves take me home. The sky was gorgeous, the way the sun was hitting on the trees was brilliant. Those puffy white Florida clouds bounced off the Florida blue sky. The noise, the water, the struggle it was all at my back. If I hadn't of worked so hard I wonder if I would have appreciated it so much, but I did and I was happy. I was more than happy, it was joyful!