I tend to ponder a lot. And my most recent ponderable topic...is that of (as Dr. Seuss says in his book "Oh, the Places You'll Go") "a most useless place. The waiting place." Here's Dr. Seuss' full description of the waiting place."The Waiting Place......for people just waiting. Waiting for a train to go or a bus to come, or a plane to go or the mail to come, or the rain to go or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow or the waiting around for a Yes or No or waiting for their hair to grow.
Everyone is just waiting. Waiting for the fish to bite or waiting for the wind to fly a kite or waiting around for Friday night or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake or a pot to boil, or a Better Break or a string of pearls, or a pair of pants or a wig with curls, or Another Chance.
Everyone is just waiting. NO! That's not for you! Somehow you'll escape all that waiting and staying. You'll find the bright places where Boom Bands are playing." (an excerpt from Oh, the Places You'll Go)
As I pondered this topic, my thoughts morphed more into holding on to things of our past. Memories, experiences, standards of various sorts, daily routines, etc, etc. A different type of waiting I suppose...waiting for it to happen again?
I'm reminded of a couple I met once. They each described their lives previously being about international travel and career related encounters...and they described it in a manner of "that's who we were...and we're feeling a bit out of place right now because we are retired and we aren't those people any more." Which of course screams of a yearning for the past, a sort of holding on and unwillingness to move forward. Attachment to external experiences in a "who we were" sort of manner. I wondered if I would ever feel that way. Is this feeling maybe more to do with being proud of who we were in those instances? Those instances of feelings of belonging?
I have since found myself pondering this topic because I have arrived at what I'll call life's crossroads...or life changes. It certainly takes some adjusting and some allowing and some embracing. It also takes trust. Trusting in yourself to not falter or waiver from the deeper part of yourself...of who you really are. For the sails of your sailboat to catch wind like they're made to do.
I'm coming to learn that lingering in "the waiting place" for very long can be debilitating. Which is why we MUST keep moving forward! Don't linger for long. You might miss your next greatest thing while clutching to that last greatest thing. Let go and allow.
This same phenomena occurs during painting too! I often reach a place in a painting and it doesn't feel quite right, doesn't look right. The colors aren't working together, or the canvas feels out-of-balance. Sometimes I walk away and return later to segway right into the next needed brush stroke. Other times I stand determined to push through, moving forward and soon a new finished work of art appears out of the mist.
Waiting can be show-stopping. Holding-on can be crippling. Allow, breath, embrace. All will be well. Vita et Fiducia!
What
do you think?
Peace to you,
Rachel
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