I’m not exactly sure why, but on Sunday afternoon I straightened a few things up. As in my home. I moved some clutter out of my son’s room. And made a plan for the remaining bit. I took a few minutes to better organize my closet and while it doesn’t look great and a “neat freak” would object….it is much better than it was previously. And finally….finally, I tidied up my desk area.
My above mentioned [desk area] is where I end up placing craft supplies, bills, postcards I purchase at museums, as well as various and sundry other stuff. Well….it looks a heck of a lot better than it did before. Again, not perfect. But much, much improved. I can actually sit in the chair and work at the desk. If I so desire.
One of the items being housed near the desk….actually it was leaning against it, is a frame. It’s large. It’s gold. And I found it near a dumpster. In Louisville. I saw it and thought…..that is a nice frame. I’m going to take it home. So I did. Much to my children’s chagrin. They were with me when I spotted it. But, the best things in life are free, right?
Well, I think it was May when I brought it home. And here it is October. About time I did something with it. I had considered hanging it at the bottom of the stairs that lead to my bedroom. But I ended up hanging it down by the desk. And decided to utilize it as something I’ve been wanting to create for a while. A vision board. Now before you start doubting my sanity or thinking I’ve gone “new age”….listen, please. My purpose is to more or less brainstorm. Not wish something into existence. Not practice the Law of Attraction. Which I’m not going to go into but if you’re interested, well…you can figure it out. My purpose, again, is to just tack/pin/post a bunch of photos/images/items on the wall, inside the borders of the above mentioned frame. Places I’d like to go. Pictures that inspire me. Quotes. The idea being to zone into and focus on items which might possibly lead me to an answer. Or at least inspire me to achieve something. I realize that’s vague, but the idea is for the project to be of help to me, and I think it will be.
I heard someone, just today, say the world needs more poets. More dreamers. And I believe that’s oh, so true. I know that sounds syrupy. Kind of like I sit around all day and listen to Imagine. Which I don’t but I don’t think it would be awful if I did. It’s just that people seem so critical. Of anyone who wants to do something creative. Or of anyone who wants to think about a positive story coming to pass. So people take matters into their own hands and delve into plans which are so uninspired. So unattractive. It’s to settle. That’s what it is. We settle for a not so lovely world because we are too afraid/lazy/busy/whatever…..to dream of something better. And if someone else says, “hey…..I think we could spiff this up a bit”….others mock/laugh/groan and say….”let’s just blah…blah…blah instead.” Something new and flashy but not really worth anything meaningful suddenly appears. I suppose that’s why I like my big, gold frame. It was abandoned. Left for trash. But it seems like it still has a purpose and a use. What can I say….I’m an upcycler. If there is such a thing. Beauty for ashes and all that…..
We seem to be in such a precarious place. Today, again just today, I heard of two separate incidents concerning racial prejudice. Both were experienced by people I actually know. And that is unsettling. To me. Yet we, as a whole, seem to choose to settle for something less than ideal because again, we don’t want to rock the boat. We don’t want to hear a song or read a story or see a rendering that makes us or the powers that be, upset.
Which in turn, I suppose, makes for a pretty uninspiring way of life.
As is choosing a life that’s less than. Because we’re afraid of what might be. Too much.
Risk? Share my heart? Your heart?
Too much? To even consider, dare to contemplate, is what? Absurd?
Even though. Isn’t the entire point of creating anything at all related to affection?
Why bother with anything if we’re not willing to at the very least…..try? Put forth the effort.
Even if. Love is the outcome and it is mind chillingly alarming?
Which is why…..at least in my opinion….why we need to dream. I think I will rename my vision board and refer to it here on out as a dream board. The difference being….I don’t think you can have the vision to do something until you’ve dreamed about it. Allowed yourself to consider the possibilities and all the options….or at least most of them. I think the vision is the final product. It will take a lot of dreaming and imagining and scheming to get to that point.
But I have to believe it will be worth it. Let me rephrase….I actually do believe it will be. Worth it.
Upon a Sunny Day 