Here’s the latest idea for a partici-blog ( though not to late to write comments on the first two. Just hit comments at the bottom of this blog and write your list.
Things I never took for granted
1) the northern view of Vancouver on a sunny day – the way the sky and mountains were impossibly blue. For 45 years it’s taken my breath away.
2) Maclen Jacob Zilber – enough said
3) Singing – I loved it even when it was hard
4) The honor of performing in front of an audience
5) Dark chocolate
6) Candlelight – sitting alone or with someone listening to music or dancing
7) The beach on a warm night
8) Peets
9) Kindness of friends (whether I told them or not)
10) My Dad being there whenever I needed him, no questions asked
11) Aretha Franklin, Gladys Knight, James Taylor, Joni Mitchell
12) The BC Ferry – standing on the deck looking at the blanket of evergreens
13) Practical jokes
14) Ocean kayaking at Robert’s Creek
15) Breast feeding
16) Walking on the street in New York City
Things I did take for granted but wished I hadn’t
1) using my body – moving, walking, dancing, yoga
2) simple activities - turning keys, lighting matches, cooking food
3) red hair
4) alcohol
5) attracting the opposite sex
6) down time
7) having the time and funds to travel
8) writing, typing, communicating in any way
9) breathing
10) eating
11) walking dogs
12) dawn breaking
Okay, now you.
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6 comments:
"granted" or not, things i've enjoyed/taken in/experienced:
> the gardens in my beautiful backyard
> my partner's really real love
> summer vacations
> caring for my patients
> splits in high school - open wide & flexible
> my meter
> pools
> water tricking over rocks
> moonshine
> poetry
> monday garbage pick-up in rockridge with an array of cans gone awry after the event
> the ability to say: "more later"
I took for granted sitting cross-legged on the carpet
with my father
smoking a joint
and feigning interest
in his analysis
of computers or hover-crafts
or comedy.
I took for granted stroking the prickly fur
on Bandit’s back,
the brown dot, like a thumb print on the top of her head,
her corkscrew tail, her wet nose, her devotion.
I took for granted the wide open plains where I grew up,
Wichita Falls.
The freedom I had to explore the terrain unsupervised,
the hours squandered in solitude, stripping trees of their bark
in the slanting sun.
I took for granted Carla, but not anymore.
I have never taken for granted
-the amazement that horses let me sit on their backs and students let me teach them stuff
-the way a rose smell enters nose and heart
-the feeling of buzz cuts on my palms, like new mown grass on my ass
-A's love
--cumulus clouds, those picassos of the sky
-moonlight on water
-lucid dreams
-snappy answers,the guts to say them in the moment, delicious belly laughs
-music-an acoustic guitar, a piano, drums
-deep, refreshing, knitting up the raveled sleeve of care
-cascades of applause after performing
-ideas and visions becoming tangible
-dance
-flight, of birds, fish, imagination
-melting
-the elasticity of time depending on who, what, where
-the gift of a poem
-colors, irridescent colors, like see-through fish and hummingbirds, and colors juxtaposed, like bouganvallia on spanish tile, colors that astonish the senses
-mountains
-connections leaping between disparate stuff
-the ability to say 'good enough' and feel perfection in the same moment!
so many more...but, good enough, this is perfect
Take for granted before, less and less
-life
-spiderwebs
-goodness
-nastiness
-the capacity for transformation
-the possibility of magic
-my strong muscles dancing, working out, hiking, doing yoga
and so much more
Love,
me
Things I never took for granted:
- that I would continue to live past adolescence...still suprised I made it!
- success
- my kids
- the view of the sun rising over the east bay hills
Things I took for granted:
- always being able to get back in shape quickly with a little effort
- my parents & 6 siblings
- living pain-free
- that as long as I took care of myself I'd be 'healthy'
- pulling up and moving to on to a new town, school or job every few years...being untethered
- I'll admit it...my husband
- always having a new crop of friends
- swimming and being one of the fastest in the pool
-walking without a limp
- and more recently...fog
Things I've never taken for granted:
-My freedom to utimately go wherever I please. I could hike from my apartment to Stinson Beach right now, if I so desired (which may happen in the near future).
-Being young enough to leap into unfortunate situations while maintaining a foolhardy sense of invincibility, although the welts on my knees after the show ended did sober me a little.
-My writing abilities. I used to not understand why people insisted I was a good writer, and in all honesty I still don't. but people generally speak well of it, so I do appreciate it.
-My ability to freewheel myself out of bad situations. I'm even keeled, and I think well on my feet. I'm not hard to surprise, but I am hard to... fatally surprise, I suppose?
-It sounds cliche, but the sound of the rain on my roof at night. I have open beam ceilings. It's very pleasant.
-Attractive women always smell nice. I've never met a foul smelling cutie in my life.
Things I've taken for granted that I'd like not to in the future:
-Having a good relationship with my parents.
-I have a pretty good ear for music. I should take advantage of it more frequently.
-I'm very comfortable discussing personal matters, so i'm always surprised when I meet more reserved people (I've been told my openness seems contrary to my general demeanor, but I hope that isn't true).
-I seem to have a pretty easy time charming women, despite my gloominess about it sometimes. I don't have much success getting furthur than that, but I figure it's a good start.
-I should really appreciate my surrounding more. I live in an incomprehensibly beautiful place, and I'd like to spend more time just sitting in nature and taking it in.
I've struggled to survive and simply to breathe most of my life...so I take little for granted, and I am deeply grateful for:
the feel of breath moving unhindered through my lungs and body;
light;
the ability to move my body where I want without great effort;
those moments when I can articulate my thoughts and heart and intuitive knowing;
inspiring and feeling inspired;
the extraordinary resilience of body and spirit even while coupled with absolute vulnerability; smiles, kindness, encouragement, caring;
feeling seen and appreciated;
seeing and appreciating;
genuine comradery;
clean running water in my home;
fresh organic food;
love in all its forms;
creative expression in all forms;
the courage of authenticity;
how so many rise above circumstance and choose to love rather than perpetuate suffering, and wanting more to do so so that there is less suffering;
the love that keeps me here and grateful to be here;
the ocean and other sources of soundful water;
how no matter how long or hard I look that I can never see the end of the sky;
that the stars we see shone their firey brilliance billions, even trillions, of light-years ago;
that things seem solid even though they're not;
music, touch, color, texture, warmth, flavor;
and now, finally, the ability to commit again after years of being unable to say yes to anything beyond today due to physical uncertainty.
Gratitude, grace, love, peace...all of these to you, dear Carla, and to those you love and who love you.
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