I have many examples of people who have left me better than they found me. The one that comes to mind today is my sixth grade teacher, Mrs Bailey. She was an excellent teacher. This was well known and understood by everyone. She won teacher of the year the year I had her.
Mrs. Bailey impacted all of her students. She wasn’t the type who only liked the good kids or the smart kids. If you asked ANY child, that year or any year even well after we all grew up, if you knew her, you loved her. I believe she loved all of us!
She knew every one of us, but most important to me, was that she knew me. She did what no other teacher was able to do. She showed me that I could do well in school. She showed me that I could love to read. She opened up a whole world that I didn’t know existed.
The impact of Mrs Bailey had on my life, was huge. I, from that year on, knew who I was and who I could be. I even learned how to do what needed to be done. Mrs Bailey kindly guided me toward books that made me, a kid who barely read, into a lifelong lover of reading.
Teachers can have such colossal impact on their students. I am forever grateful for the positive influence Mrs Bailey had on me.
Share a story about someone who had a positive impact on your life.
Not much of a story. Here are five things my husband taught me.
1) The importance and possibility of fun
I spent what felt like a lifetime trying to be a serious grownup. Saying no, ignoring my needs and wants, and feeling guilty for everything that wasn’t work. I was so busy, I told myself, I had no time for fun. I wanted my kids to have fun, but I was sure that for me, the ship had sailed. He taught me that fun wasn’t just possible, but that it was important and nessesary. Fun makes me happy, which makes me a better person.
2) How to be polite
My husband was raised with manners. You can put him in any situation with any person anywhere and he will quietly use good manners.
3) How to be respectful and conscientious
Along the same lines, he will always listen more than talk, smile, make a joke, engage others with kind light joking conversation. He will listen to everyone and is always careful and thoughtful with his responses.
4) How to listen and not talk
I had to learn how to not explain myself. To enjoy the presence of another in silence. I don’t need to fill space with words. It really can be peaceful in quiet with another human.
5) That I am the one in charge of my feelings.
I used to think that circumstances, weather, people, good things bad things were what determined my mood or state. If something good happened I would feel good. If something bad happened I would feel bad. There was nothing I could do but wait for better things to happen. I thought this for most of my life. I now know that it’s not what happens, it’s how I precieve things and then how I respond that sets me up for whatever mood I land in. This understanding gives me so much personal power and freedom. My thoughts determine so much more than anything outside of me.
It sounds like I was raised by wolves, I wasn’t. I was raised with a strictness that was hard for me to learn from. G is an example of how all these things are carried out. He doesn’t instruct or teach. He doesn’t correct or say anything about any of it. He just is.
I had to learn that everything isn’t about me. People have lives and preferences and reasons for doing things that I didn’t cause and can’t affect. Rather than trying to figure out what I did or am doing wrong or find or feel blame, I can just have fun, be polite and conscientious, listen more than talk and be in charge of my own feelings. He would have no idea that he taught me any of this.
Maybe it’s all the pink flowering trees and bushes I keep passing lately. For whatever reason this painting keeps veering off towards pink. I’ll throw some gray in to balance it, and green, but I seem to have a lot of pink again.
Matisse didn’t shy away from using pink
I’ve always liked pink, red and orange together myself
There is no telling where I’ll end up on this painting. I’m a long way from finished
I sent in a submission. It took me hours to perfect everything and fix the one typo on Canva and then make and attach a new file. Honestly, I’m getting faster.
I feel good about the letter. I like the few changes I made on Canva (because I can never revisit a project without trying to make it a little better) (or hopefully not ruining it)
I’m genuinely interested to hear feedback. I think I have a healthy amount of detachment at this point thanks to starting a new project, but you never know. Is it a little ironic that as a sensitive artist, I have to develop thick skin for times like this? I guess it’s balancing again. It might be be months before I hear anything…
I disagree with the people who thought Van Gogh was a terrible artist and rejected his art while he was alive and painting. That wouldn’t be the definition of public figure, but the general public (I’m sure there were some public figures in there). Everyone in the art world was quite wrong. Well not everyone. He had a handful of supporters.
I don’t tend to look for how to disagree with people, public or otherwise. It’s never felt advantageous to me or peaceful to look for ways to disagree. Maybe when I was younger I did. Maybe I enjoyed the banter. Or feeling right. Or something.
Now a days, I try my best to understand. To find commonalities. or to acknowledge that everyone has differences of opinion, upbringing, cultural rules and norms, all of it. I can’t expect to truly understand or empathize most of the time, but I can step away and not throw my energy into disagreement.
Van Gogh is a great example of the future proving the masses wrong. You just never know
Or if you do, you might need a century or so to pass. In the meantime, I’ll likely keep my ignorance to myself. Sorry WP I’m not taking the bait..
Today I put together a query letter, PDF, and links to send to a publisher. I guess my career plan is to keep going.
I’m proud of myself for getting it done. I’m grateful for my friend Anne who found a publisher that sounds like a good match and IS taking unsolicited query letters. Most agencies and especially publishers say right away that they don’t, so this one detail is huge.
Maybe Im just tired. Probably nothing a good night sleep can’t solve.
I’ve been doing my best to stay upbeat. Working at different things. Painting and posting on instagram every day. Looking for what will feel joyful, positive, peaceful. I have watched over my energy and regulated as carefully as I can. Yoga has been working muscles I haven’t used in a while. Yard work too. All of these things have left me tired. There have been a few complicated matters…
I am the perfect before story. This moment. Earlier today I was so tired and sore I couldn’t get myself out of bed. I’m usually an early morning person, (which I easily forget on days like today). Ever have things start out like this?
Struggle. Ugh.
A Third day of rain is contributing to me feeling tired and more discouraged. I’m not thrilled with my painting, (that happens), I can’t log into my canva account, (also happens), my video effort didn’t capture what I was hoping it would. Its raining sideways and it’s cold. Our one plan to go to this outdoor antique fair is off the table due to weather. Oh man.
I have yoga thank goodness. I want the opposite of a fair weather friend. Maybe I need a rainy day crowd to hang out with in coffeeshops or somewhere cozy. Or something. What do people do when it rains without stopping for days? I wonder how I’ll shift my energy because I will at some point. I always do.
Somehow, I’m going to have to be my own sunshine today.
G was going all New England-y there for a moment not wanting to go to the fair in the rain, but he changed his mind. He told me I won’t like it. It will be miserable and muddy. (So still a bit of pessimistm) I guess I’ve been warned.
Boots!
I am dressed, appropriately, (I hope). They warned me at yoga that everything will be over priced. (Yoga did include a lot of sun salutations anyway). I don’t mind. I’m not going to buy, I’m going to look and get out. I like following a bit of curiosity, even in the rain.
Which community is ‘the’ community I wonder. My east coast yoga community is one I’m happily involved in. How am I involved? Well
I go often. I appreciate all the different instructors and the different classes that they teach and tell them. (because I sincerely do). I try to get to know as many others in my classes, as I can, by being friendly, smiling and listening.Yoga attracts a colorful array of people and since I’ll never really understand it, I’m always curious about everyone else’s ideas and views.
My west coast yoga community became something like family. After Covid closed our studio doors we kept our little community going with online class, distance walks and upbeat chats. We celebrated birthdays and equinox es. This community is still very important to me.
We have a neighborhood community that we are mostly new to here. I think just slowing down to chat and being friendly is a good place to start. Keeping the lawn mowed and the edges trimmed has been helpful. A neighbor actually stopped to thank me.
Every community has different ways to be helpful and appreciative. Once I did a neighborhood mural where I met alll kinds of people I didn’t know were neighbors. Sometimes, just being outside doing something is all it takes to be involved.
Today, I spent a little while watching a new dock being put in. Different neighbors stopped to watch and ask questions. It reminded me of the show Mr. Rogers a little. Large telephone pole size posts had to be sunk several feet into the sand under the water. Everyone was a little captivated by the barge and machinery that drove the posts in. Mr Roger’s had a segment called Picture Picture in which he showed filmclips of something being made. For example, one time we watched crayons being made.
I think Mr Roger’s Neighborhood was well named. Mr Rogers was always interested in and friendly towards everyone. Because he was interested, we were to. Even the littlest of my kids would sit and nod when he talked to the camera. He modeled community involvement best. I didn’t ever think of that then, but he did.
Peace Kit 