Ok, sorry for the inconsistency in the blogs these days - I'm either hot or I'm cold (and no, that is not a reference to my inevitable pre-mature menopause). I was on the "try to blog at least once a week" kick in the beginning and then I dropped off for weeks at at time and then I got bored in Conference Room C and realized I could access the blog at work (which I am totally doing right now) and I was posting completely random things multiple times a day. I know there are at least five of you who consistently read the blog so I am really just apologizing to you five for not being consistent - the rest of you - well, you are probably 8 blogs behind anyway and this won't matter a lick to you - so - no apology for you. I actually have a list of things I want to blog about, but just haven't had the time (and by time I mean energy and motivation) to sit down and put fingers to keyboard.
Mel and I started our six week "Get The Life You Love" class at Emory University two weeks ago and it is quite a hoot. We took most of the first class getting to know each other (and by getting to know each other I mean telling the class what animal we would like to be and why) and talking about what the six classes will cover - leading to our getting the lives we love. I must say, we have an interesting group of participants in the class - not surprising given the course material - a special type of person (myself included) is drawn to the touchy feely self-improvement type seminars. Some of our classmates (myself included) seem to really be at the crossroads. Some are younger (although I don't think anyone in the class is younger than 30 something) and dealing with career type or relationship type issues and some are older and dealing with legacy type issues such as "what does it all mean" or "how do I pull it all together." My favorite class member is my and Mel's "email buddy" - she is an open lesbian (early to mid 60s I think) who has the most amazing stories. One of the topics discussed in our first class was synchronicity (I'll admit, I had to google it after class, but the instructor sort of described it as those events/actions in life that lead you somewhere or to something that changes your life - and would have never happened but for your taking a certain action). Our instructor asked how we could make sure we are open to or aware of these moments of synchronicity. I suggested we simply "look up" - and I described how I often find myself walking along looking down at the ground, unaware of what is happening around me. Our new email buddy suggested we "listen." When the instructor asked her to expand on what she meant by "listen" she went on say, among other things, that we could listen to the trees - because they are very talkative. I KNEW IT!!!! I knew those trees in my parking lot were laughing at and talking about me! Trees, they can be shifty little buggers. She of course implied that trees had positive things to say to us, but I know that that's not always the case. The trees up in NONO (that's the North end of North Ave. in case you don't know - there's also SONO and then there's Oh!NO - which is where you really don't want to go) are a bit hoity toity if you ask me. Nonetheless, as soon as she told me I should be listening to the trees cause they are very talkative I knew I was going to like her. On my way home to Asheville last weekend I decided to stage my own moment of synchronicity. I put my iPod on random and decided that the first ten songs were going to be a message for me at this stage in my life. Yeah, yeah, this might not be really what synchronicity means. But you'll have to admit the concept is a bit wishy washy and the instructor did say to try things like opening up a book at random to see what is on that page (stuff like that) - so this was me being synchornitious (made up word). Typing up the list of songs and what I gleaned from the songs after deep thought and consideration is one of the blogs I have in my hopper (all locked safe in my head) - it will take a hot minute to compose so I will try for that one this weekend. I know you are on the edge of your seats and might not be able to continue on - knowing that you are being deprived of my list of ten random songs, but cool your heels- it's coming soon!!
We had our second class this Tuesday and at the half-way point the instructor had us all gather in the middle of the room and stand in a circle facing the back of the person in front of us. She said she was going to take us through an exercise that she does with corporate executives all the times and she thinks we know each other well enough now to do it (mind, we have only had one and a half classes so we have known each other a total of 3 hours - besties we are not). I assumed we were going to conga around the room. It would not have surprised me. I once worked with a telemarketing company where we started each day with a group round of the hokie pokie (I am absolutely not making that up - I was still living in Asheville at that time though so that explains it). Anyway, she did surprise me when she told us to begin massaging the back of the person in front of us. . . . . . . . . yes, we engaged in a massage orgy. It was a bit awkward. Then we turned around the other way and "repaid the favor" - if you will. So, the moral of the story? Be open to those moments of synchronicity (whatever the hell it really means - just pay attention damnit). Go a different way to work, order something different from the menu, go inside the bank instead of using the drive-through- you never know what might happen!!!! And watch out for those trees!!! Oh, and rub a stranger's back - really get in there good.
The silliness of the class will be most entertaining, but in the end I hope the class will help me get more focused and organized about moving towards my ultimate goal (now that I know it is my goal) of opening up my folk art gallery / coffee shop. She asked us to envision our dream - to feel it, see it, hear it, smell it. I did - and it looked, sounded, smelled and felt goooooood.
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