My daughter makes this noise, a primal hum, when she is in that space between waking and sleeping. The sound soothes her and allows her to return to the peace of sleep. It reminds me of the moan Harry (Billy Crystal) made in When Harry Met Sally only more drawn-out and infinitely more hilarious.

Recently, I was feeling jammed up. My head was flooded with thoughts about work, creative projects, taking care of my daughter, familial issues, financial concerns, the need for a vacation, etc. I needed to quiet my mind but found that screaming, “Stop Thinking” in my head over and over was not the solution. Just then, I heard her on the baby monitor. She was curled up, eyes closed, humming herself back into a dream.

That moment was just the inspiration I was seeking; I just hadn’t realized it. I decided to lie upside down on my couch allowing my head to hang off the edge. With closed eyes, I exhaled letting a small sound slip from my lips. It was like a teeny, tiny growl. Gradually it built to a nice, respectable level which was just shy of being loud enough to wake her. My focus began to shift away from my hodgepodge of thoughts to my breath mixed with this growl. As the last bits of sound escaped, I felt an urge to laugh. I’m not even sure what struck me as funny. I felt light, free and utterly relaxed. Every part of me was filled with urges to color, write on the walls and dance around the room. Somehow this little, inner rumble brought me back to my playful self.

In college, I took part in a primal scream during exams but it didn’t make me feel half as good as my ridiculous growl.

What would you prefer a primal scream, growl, hum or something else? What’s one silly way you love to clear out tension and uncover creative fun?
 

One Film Gets My Daughter’s Toes’ Wiggling

If the movie, Music and Lyrics, had not been made I fear my daughter may never have eaten. The moment the film begins, the world is filled with sunshine, the smell of roses permeates the air and she happily eats her food. When finished, my daughter gets down from her high chair and dances around. I need to send Hugh Grant, Drew Barrymore and Marc Lawrence, the writer and director, a thank you note.

Her obsession with the film got me to thinking about movies that I love, movies I can watch again and again without getting sick of them. There are films I watch to simply relax and others to re-ignite the fires of my imagination when I’m devoid of creativity. Here are some that make me laugh, others that make me want to move my feet, some that make me cry and finally, those that inspire me.

The Breakfast Club – but truthfully have you ever heard of the term “neo-maxi-zoomed-dweebie” used in any other film?

Sixteen Candles – the interaction between Long Duk Dong (Gedde Watanabe) and Jake (Michael Schoeffling) when Jake is looking for Samantha (Molly Ringwald) STILL makes me laugh when I watch it. And honestly, is there anything better than Jake suddenly appearing at the church and waving to Samantha?

50 First Dates – Hawaii, a penguin in a Hawaiian shirt, an adorable concept – making someone fall in love with you everyday – and 311’s song, Amber, make for a fun viewing experience.

Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels – there are at least three different storylines going on at the same time and when they all collide it’s fantastic.

The Usual Suspects – he got me. Writer Christopher McQuarrie (he apparently wrote this at his parent’s kitchen table) completely got me with the ending. I still wonder about the difference between truth and fiction when I watch it. And Keyser Soze – what a name!

Jaws – I have some sort of serious obsession with this film. Oddly, I love everything about it, especially when Police Chief Brody (Roy Scheider), Quint (Robert Shaw) and Matt Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss) are sitting on the boat singing.

The Lost Boys – the music and the boys – Jason Patrick and Keifer Sutherland – they made this movie for me.

Before Sunrise & Before Sunset – the conversations between Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy are thought-provoking.

Four Weddings and a Funeral – the characters in this film were a riot. Although I hate Andie McDowell’s line, “Is it raining? I hadn’t noticed” at the end of the film, I like the idea of focusing the film around life’s big moments.

About a Boy – There is a warmth about this film. I like the idea of lonely folks – some who know and acknowledge that their lonely and some who deny it – finding one another and creating a makeshift family.

The Goonies – They’re the Goonies, they’re hilarious. I SO wish I had a friend with tons of gadgets. I would have enjoyed their adventure.

Say Anything – I wanted to date Lloyd (John Cusack)…period, end of story. If he’d held up a radio and played a song outside of my window there is no way I would have turned my back and gone to sleep.

Some Kind of Wonderful – Watts (Mary Stuart Masterson) was amazing…she was just well, kinda wonderful. And I adored the bald-headed guy that Keith (Eric Stoltz) met in detention.

Gross Pointe Blank – the idea of a hitman needing therapy (aside from Tony Soprano) was hilarious.

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off – I still want to sing, dance and get a crowd going on a parade float someday!

As Good As It Gets – I ended up wanting that weird looking dog!

What are some of yours?

Photo by Danielle

The other day my daughter sat on the floor looking defeated. She was mourning the loss of her pretzel which had been pulverized, its fragments driven deep into our carpet by either her father or I as we rushed around trying to do four things at once, our normal routine these days. I understood her pain. I knew she felt as though she were sitting in the middle of a disaster area.

That same day, I dressed in a pair of pants that finally fit, as Goldie Locks would say, “just right”, threw on a T-shirt and a pair of cute sandals and headed out. I was feeling good and then my husband pointed out the dried boogers on my shoulder, a gift bestowed by my congested daughter when I lifted her into her stroller.

The day before I blew the circuits in my apartment when an extension cord disintegrated in my hands – the shock was minimal thank Heaven - and the day after I showed up to a work event with dried pretzel on my skirt.

Sometimes I feel like no matter what I do, I am a giant walking disaster dropping things, spilling things, feeling far from put together. These are the times when I believe I should have a sign around my neck, like the ones you see on the highway that warn of falling rocks, and caution tape all around the perimeter of my body. I have to ask, does this ever happen to you??

I sent an email to a several friends asking this question and three, hilarious mothers were the first to reply. Patricia, a mother of two, adorable children, shared the litany of questions she asks herself after getting her and her children out the door in the morning which included, “Am I fully dressed?” Annie, a mother of four, beautiful, young children, responded that she was feeling that way right at that moment and then ran off to juggle her children, a fundraiser and life. Faith, a mother of one, handsome son, said that “becoming a mom is a slow ongoing process of letting go.” I agree with this line of thinking but don’t think this idea of release applies solely to motherhood.  I would say that every creative endeavor we undertake, anything we pour our heart, body and mind into, requires a level of letting go. Things change, ideas change and mature as do children thus we cannot hold on too tightly to anything. We must be ready to let things, moments, rules go so that new ideas can settle in their place and challenge us to grow.

In my case, I think it’s a letting go of my sanity …wait that might already be gone. Seriously, it’s a letting go of my need to control how every little thing is going to turn out. It’s letting go of that evil thing I have written about but still struggle with – perfection. In doing so, I am again beginning to embrace my “disaster area” status. Hell, I’m even starting to enjoy it.  I think that new perspectives, openness and true beauty (the wonderful kind that far outweighs the importance of outward appearances) are born from chaos. Every single day, I am reminded that there is a freedom and lots of laughter in being imperfect. Now, if I could only remember that….

As for my daughter and her pretzel, she is just learning about the disaster area thing but I have a feeling she’s going to enjoy it.

Have you ever felt like a walking disaster? I need more members to join this growing club. It makes me feel more human.
 

 Bridget Murphy’s First Race

Bridget Murphy is one of those people you want to have in your life. From her ability to make others feel comfortable in any situation to her knack for making people laugh when they least expect it, she is a true inspiration. Bridget is driven to succeed but her drive does not blind her to the needs of others. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. The closer she moves toward accomplishing her dreams, the more she strives to help others to follow their passion. As Bridget prepares to run the NYC Half-Marathon, she is not just focusing on training, she’s working to help kids improve their health and their lives. 

CN: Congratulations on being accepted into the NYC Half-Marathon! When did you decide that you wanted to run it?

Bridget: I’ve always wanted to run a marathon – specifically the NYC marathon. I saw that the NYRR (New York Road Runners) posted the application for the Half-Marathon so I applied through NYRR and eventually through the charity, Team for Kids.
 
CN: The Half-Marathon will bring you one step closer to the NYC Marathon. How long have you dreamt of running the NYC Marathon?

Bridget: As long as I can remember I’ve always wanted to run the NYC Marathon. I can remember walking to First Avenue with my family and cheering all the runners on. I always thought it was such an amazing accomplishment and wonderful experience to run through all five boroughs and have millions of people cheering for you. I’m not an athlete by any stretch of the imagination but it amazes me how every year hundreds of ordinary people run the marathon.
 
CN: Has running been a childhood dream?

Bridget: Not running but the marathon, yes, has always been a dream. I would also like to train for triathlons.
 
CN: What is your first memory of running?

Bridget: Hmm…probably a first memory of running was just with my brother running crazy through the park or in the fields in Ireland.
 
CN: What benefits does running give you – mentally, physically, and emotionally?

Bridget: So far my longest run was the Colon Cancer Challenge last year that was a little over 9 miles – mentally I would say it prepares you for challenges in life – everyday life. I say to myself – well if I can run such and such a distance this challenge at work shouldn’t be too bad (I just have to keep reminding myself of that!). I’ve always admired a woman that has a strong athletic body – not the slinky kind we normally see. But I’ve only recently strived to achieve that strong body not just a sexy bod (ha!). It’s incredibly challenging. Emotionally, it’s true after exercise the endorphins are released and I do feel energized. While I’m running I listen to my music and all kinds of thoughts flow through my head! I can think of the bills I need to pay or a song may come on that reminds me of my grandma. Running gives me the freedom to just think clearly.

CN: So, you use music when you are working out/training, what’s the one song that really keeps you motivated and excited to push yourself?

Bridget: I always use music! It’s the one time that I always listen to music. Rocky – seriously rocky pushes me. The trumpets and the visual I have in my head of him boxing Drago (Rocky IV) and running up the steps really pumps me (even if that is corny!).
 
CN: You will be running for Team for Kids…tell us a little about it? How can people help?

Bridget: Team for Kids is a great organization that supports youth running programs. These programs help children fight obesity, become more active, learn the importance of nutrition and support their self-esteem by setting goals. People can donate to Team for Kids by visiting their website, and clicking donate. If they are interested in donating under my name, my last name is Murphy registration number: 262140.
 
CN: How do you keep yourself motivated to run? Train?

Bridget: Well it can be extremely challenging to stay motivated. After a long day at work or school I can be drained. But I have to focus on my goals – whether that’s running a Half-Marathon or running one more mile than the previous day. For my training I am going to have to become diligent about my weekly schedule. I know I’m a procrastinator but when I have to finish 13 miles in 3 hours I’m going to have to stick to it. In between now and July the NYRR hosts other races and I plan to participate in those to keep my motivation alive.

CN: That’s right! You’re currently working a full-time job and going to school for your graduate degree. That’s intense! How will you juggle everything with training?

Bridget: It will be a great lesson in learning how to balance life’s complications! I know it’s going to be extremely hard but I’m not just running for me I’m running for a charity and I have lots of friends and family behind me.
 
CN: What is the most creative part of running? Putting together the training schedule?

Bridget: Well I’m really creative in thinking of reasons why I don’t need to run on a particular day - so the challenging part is remembering why I’m running. On days when it just seems tedious I may chose a different path or mix up my music. Eventually on the weekends I would like to run along the Hudson River.
 
CN: How will you put the schedule together for running the NYC Half-Marathon?

Bridget: Every week is different whether it’s because of work, school or friends. I will have to see what each week brings and make sure I’m getting in the amount of miles I need and within a good time. Team for Kids also organizes group runs which I plan to join.
 
CN: If you had a bumper sticker on you that everyone would see as you ran by what would it read?

Bridget: American Gladiator in Training!
 
CN: For all the people reading this who may dream of running the NYC Half-Marathon and NYC Marathon who are balancing work and/or family, what advice would you give them?

Bridget: I’m still learning that things you really want you have to really work for – and accomplishments don’t happen overnight or in a week. It’s incredibly easy to get side-tracked but it’s important to remember not to let those “interruptions” distract you. Just put your nose to the grindstone and work at it – but enjoy the small accomplishments along the way.

Again, if you’d like to support Bridget Murphy and Team for Kids, visit the Team for Kids website or simply click on the words, Team for Kids, here. On the Team for Kids website, select “Donate” and click on the link to donate to a Team for Kids member running the Half-Marathon and enter Bridget Murphy’s name and registration number: 262140.
 

Recently, I have had a handful of people in my life talk to me about “not talking.” They have spoken of spouses, friends, children, and parents who do not talk or are shutting them out.

I am not an exceptionally good verbal communicator. Strike that. I’m not an exceptionally good verbal communicator when I have to admit that I feel vulnerable or give voice to intense emotions. I was a teenager when a long held secret was revealed to me. My father was not my biological father. It rocked my world. It was a secret kept out of love; a love to protect me till I was old enough to understand the complications that life is famous for. In the end, I grew to love my parents more for the struggle they faced in raising me. And this man who had bandaged my childhood wounds, counted the distance between lightning strikes in order to quell my fears and loved me unconditionally was the man I considered and called father. I still do. I think he’s extraordinary but initially, I didn’t talk about it much; which, as I look back, is surprising given the many issues to be dealt with after this revelation.

At the time, I felt I only had a few words, if any, to share and frankly I didn’t want to burden people with my problems. I wanted to be happy-go-lucky or at least, seem that way. My silence ate away at my insides. And yet there were times when I wanted to say to family members or friends, “I feel horribly alone. I worry that if you turn away from me, I might disappear.” I wanted to say, “Sometimes I ache inside so badly and I need you to hold me even if I say I don’t want a hug and I need you to say I love you even if I behave in a manner that doesn’t deserve it and I need you to tell me that I’ll always be a special part of your life even if you are leaving and I won’t ever see you again.” But I said none of this. Not one word. Instead, I acted out of anger. I would be silent or turn away or lash out at the wrong person because I hadn’t a clue as to how to speak about my feelings. It was actually work to open my mouth and it got to the point that it physically hurt to try to speak when it came to feelings. I would hold everything in and it would build and build and then all people would see were these blow-ups that didn’t appear to make sense. If I’d shared along the way, it would have been clear but instead I acted like things were fine, even when people told me they could see my hurt, until I blew.

As a society obsessed with being “happy”, there are times when people enjoy seeing others screw up. Some folks don’t want to hear a person talk about their pain, they simply want to exploit it. Tabloids talk about this one on drugs or that one getting caught stealing and make fun of, make money off of or pass judgment on these people, forgetting that sometimes people screw up because they hurt. Sometimes people act out because they need someone to throw them a life preserver and don’t know how to ask for it. They continue being self-destructive because they hate a part of themselves so much that they can’t stop from hurting themselves. I firmly believe that a lot of the pain we see in the world comes from a lack of communication. An inability to be who are when we hurt combined with a lack of people around who truly want to hear what we have to say causes resentment, hatred of self and of others. It can cause people to develop a distorted view of those they love and then pull away.

I’m lucky in the sense that I have people in my life who have stuck by me even when I know it hurt to do so, people who have loved me when I could not love myself. Those same people have helped me to learn how to communicate my feelings. Granted, I am much better at writing down my thoughts. That was how I started to give voice to what was inside of me. I started to write in my journals or in letters to people. Writing provides one place where I can be truly free. I am better at sharing through written words but I work hard at saying the things that are tough. Now, I can say, “Today everything went wrong and I felt like a failure,” and my ability to speak those words to another allows that person to help me to work through my day, find comfort and forgiveness for myself and remember that I’m simply human.

The knack for putting words together in an effort to communicate with another is a gift as clearly illustrated by my daughter who rails against her inability to speak. She’s working so hard and often gets to frustrated. I used to get frustrated when I could not explain myself the way I wanted. My frustration would come from people not understanding what I was saying but they couldn’t.  I wasn’t saying what I wanted to, what I felt. I was saying, “It’s raining and I’m angry,” or “The guy at the deli forgot to put mustard on my sandwich and I’m pissed,” instead of, “I feel like I haven’t a soul in the world to trust anymore.” I was saying, “I have to go” in the middle of phone conversations instead of, “Can you come over?  I need a shoulder. I’m really feeling blue.”

We all have things that we are holding inside. Why not take just one of those things and share it? Just one. It doesn’t have to be something good or bad, it just has to be something meaningful to you. In sharing with someone, you never know what will happen. The person you speak with may be waiting to hear your words or you may invite someone to say something that they have been holding within. Or that person may have no reaction at all. The reaction is not the point. The point is that you challenged yourself to open up, therefore allowing the possibility for creative joy to enter your life.

Whatever it is that challenges you - writing or speaking – choose one form to share with one person. There have been more than a few times when people have commented here and then written an email to explain that they are not writers but still wanted to share. It always amazes me when this happens because all the comments here are funny, smart, down-to-Earth insights that make me think. Whether through the written or spoken word, creativity and life thrive on the sharing of our ideas and feelings.

Like anything else, becoming a better communicator takes practice. I work at both the written and verbal on a daily basis. For me, this post is another step in trying to improve my communication skills. Thanks for “listening”.

Please feel free to challenge yourself to share here as well. My hope is that this will always be a safe playground for all.

My imagination always doubles in size when I hang with my brother, Ian. This deep thinker with a devilish sense of humor wrapped in wildly creative skin inspires me to let go of societal constraints and proper mannerisms and just get silly. When he’s around, life feels a lot like playtime and playtime is essential to my survival.

When we combined our imaginations as kids, there was no stopping us. We had a “radio show” where we sat in front of our parent’s stereo talking into a microphone while our voices erupted out of the speakers in the living room. Our parents would sit on the couch, prisoners of mayhem, pretending to be entertained while eating their Sunday breakfast. We broke the box-springs on our beds while hosting the WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) championships and administering smackdowns to cousins and friends. We dressed up the Yorkshire Terrier our family dog-sat for in baby clothes and wheeled him around in my doll carriage.

As soon as the holidays began, you were sure to catch one of our many performances of “Christmas is coming”, presented in public. When I say “public”, I am referring to unsuspecting family friends whose living rooms served as our stage during holiday parties. At these shows, we would sing while I, draped in gold garland, danced around my brother; he was angelic with his page boy haircut, arms folded behind his back, and head tilted slightly to one side. The only time he didn’t want to do it was when I made him a makeshift Santa outfit (red turtleneck, pants and snow boots with a red hat and a beard made out of tracing paper. Huh, wonder why he disliked his outfit.). He just stood there completely uninterested as I danced around him whispering, “Sing.” We never did that again.

Even when we were angry with one another, our imaginations fed the fires of vengeance. For example, I once took one of his figurines, a girl warrior from either the He-Man or She-Ra collections, and drew a mustache on her face. So, he took my Duran Duran tape and fired it out the window. We were NYC kids, throwing things out the window was practically required, so long as you didn’t hit anyone.

As you grow older, imagination sometimes loses its importance. You stop being a “child” and become an “adult”. (Personally, I think being an adult is overrated; it’s much more fun to be a kid.) You focus more on bills, appointments and work and before you know it, your imagination and those that you shared it with end up taking a back seat. But creative playtime is essential to creation.

Creating is hard work mixed with fun. Whether you are sculpting, taking photographs, teaching others to paint, writing a novel, raising children or all of the above, it’s work, even when you lose hours at a time because you are having fun doing it. (By the way, it is my wish that everyone experience that feeling of falling in loving with what you are doing.) You still need playtime that does not involve your work, projects or your children; playing for the sake of playing allows your brain to open areas it may not normally use and see things from new perspectives. Playtime enriches your life.

My brother and I still run through hilarious mock scenarios where we imagine meeting people and doing or saying things we would never actually say (especially when it comes to crazy family members as we have been blessed with an exceptionally insane family). Or we watch particularly dreadful movies, like Snakes on a Plane, and he and my husband have running commentaries that erupt into such immense laughter that the film needs to be paused.

Call up your sibling, cousin, or friend and schedule a playdate. Do something you haven’t done in a long, long time. Go to a toy store, get a Slip ‘n Slide, find an open space with some H2O and go nuts. Grab a six pack, the game Twister and head to the park (for some reason Twister and alcohol are intertwined in my mind). Snag some Mr. Softee, find some swings and try to touch the sky with your feet. Find a bicycle store and see if you can rent a banana bike for a day – ride around with one of you sitting on the handlebars. Go to an amusement park and ride bumper cars. Stop in the middle of the street and pretend to be a famous singer. Have the person you are with act as though they are losing their mind over meeting you and then sing a few bars of a song, off key.  Sit with a friend at an outdoor café and make up dialogue for people walking by.

Whatever you do, make sure it’s filled with opportunities to be ridiculously silly. Who do you think you’ll call? What would you love to do?

 Grandma’s old recipe box

When I stumbled upon Ralph Waldo Emerson’s quote, “All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better,” something clicked inside of me. You see, I’ve had my fair share of, “Life is…” ideas. Life is like playing on the monkey bar cage on the playground. It’s fun when you make it to the top because you can hang around and enjoy the view. I was just a kid when I came up with that one, what do you want?

Life is like smoking a cigarette. This was born during my adolescence when I thought smoking was cool. You give a little of your breath to get a little nicotine rush or a little death, whichever you prefer.

For awhile I thought Forrest Gump’s Mom had it right with her whole, “Life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what your gonna get” philosophy.

However, Mr. Emerson’s thought that life is an experiment has made the most sense to me. After reading those lines, I started to feel a shift. The thought that I could try out different approaches to life situations and make mistakes was liberating. I’ve always struggled when making decisions believing that the balance of life or death was dependent upon them. I always felt that whatever decision I made had to be the right one. Yet, this experiment idea challenges these long held beliefs. It allows the weight which often accompanies my decisions to become a celebration of the freedom of having choices. Life is not set in stone so why not test everything, right?

For some reason, the suggestion of life as an experiment did not make me think of the scientific method, often associated with experimentation, as much as it made me think of recipes. I can experiment with the different ingredients I need to get through each day and if they don’t mix, I have the ability to start over and over till I get it right.  Here’s my current life recipe:

As creative individuals we need to be flexible, open to possibility and experiment with the flavor of our lives.

What ingredients do you use? What’s your “Life is…” theory?

Photo by Bernard Reilly

When I gave birth to my daughter, people said that the moment I saw her, my heart would expand and I would feel a love like I had never felt before. I imagined it would be the same way for me as it had been for the Grinch when his heart grew two sizes too big. The moment when I cracked open the first book in the Harry Potter series, people commented that I would be hooked and seek to devour each book in order to quench my desire to know the fate of Harry, Ron and Hermione. John Grisham’s book turned film, The Firm, hit the big screen and many insisted that I would be riveted as the filmmakers stayed true to the book for at least three quarters of the film.

None of these things happened or felt the way people said they would, at least not right away. I remember wanting so badly to feel that instant love for my daughter that I tried to make myself feel what others had described. When I saw her, I was in such awe that I can’t recall any specific emotion; in fact, I would spend the better part of the first year of her life sorting through all of those incredible sensations and thoughts. I would also spend time wondering if there was something wrong with me because things had not played out exactly as others I trusted and loved had said they would. After spending one entire year with her, I can say to you, I’ve never felt any kind of comparable love. Sometimes, it fills me to a point that I ache and I wonder if the human heart can sustain such tremendous emotion. I believe we can all feel this level of love for those closest to us if we let ourselves. The trick is to be insanely vulnerable. Giving myself permission to be that vulnerable has allowed my daughter to single-handedly change the way I live, love and experience the world, all for the better.

As for the Harry Potter series, I was not instantly crazy about the characters or the story line. It took reading a couple of books to want to know more. When The Firm came out I enjoyed it until the end and have hated it ever since. These are just a few random examples of things that took time to digest. Trying to wear the descriptions of other’s experiences was like trying to wear their clothing, it simply didn’t fit. I needed to drape myself in the beauty of my own experiences and trust that how I interpreted the world was right for me.  My understanding of my life experiences is not instantaneous; it is something precious that grows over time, much like a flower.

A former yoga/mediation teacher once said to me that we rely too much on what we see with our eyes. We don’t trust our other senses to provide us with the information we need. I firmly believe that when it comes to experiencing things in life whether it is a movie, book, art exhibit, show, concert, childbirth, or anything else, we need to close our eyes and experience it for ourselves. We need to eat up all the tasty bits of our experiences and savor them.

Although we are a society that prides itself on individuality, we all have a need to connect with one another. Unfortunately that need, can blind us from trusting our own truth. We listen to critics, politicians and artists and sometimes adopt their description of life as our own. While we grow in sharing experiences with one another, we need to know where one person’s experience ends and ours begins. We need to care for, value and love the unique way we perceive the world.

The way we take in all around us and then share it is vital to our creative endeavors and to society as a whole. If we only look to mimic other’s experiences we shortchange ourselves and our society. 

Whatever it is that you are working on right now, take a moment, close your eyes and spend a little time with it. Remember that whether you are brushing your teeth, painting a mural or learning to appreciate the necessity of coral living in the ocean, everything takes its own time. Some people have immediate reactions to things and for others the time it takes to process information may take weeks, months or years.

For just one moment, erase your mind of everything you know, close your eyes and picture your project or your child and try to capture your own experience. How would you describe your personal experience to someone else?

Listen when others share; let their words guide or inspire you but in the end, let yourself fully experience everything in life as it applies to you.
 

Photo by Natasha Reilly

The thermometer hit 75 degrees in the Big City on Thursday and you know what that meant….Spring Fever. The first day of Spring, the first real day of it, always inspires me. The warm sunshine wakens me from my winter slumber and I notice things like the beautiful, new buds on the trees, people walking slower, kids playing Frisbee with their dogs and daffodils everywhere.

On days like this, I want to throw on my iPod, walk through the park and listen to some tunes. The same tunes grab hold of me at the same time each year- weird. They are:

- People Are Strange by The Doors – I loved this song the very first time I heard it. Maybe because when I was in grammar school, this song somehow made me feel like it was cool to be strange.

- Thank You by Led Zeppelin - I found the lyrics to this song in a friend’s yearbook and wrote them on my binder. I didn’t even know they were from a song. Then along came a person who would write the title of the song on that binder and change my life forever.

- What I Got by Sublime – My star-filled friend and old roommate, Claire, and I used to sing this in the morning before work and late on Friday nights….”Livin’ with Claire dawg’s the only way to stay sane….”

- Lover Lay Down by Dave Matthews Band – This song came out during my dating days. It made sense to me.

- Wonderwall by Oasis - Once upon a time, I needed to be saved. This song was popular when someone did.

- Sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay by Otis Redding – I have loved this song since I was a little girl for no reason, other than I adore the image it conjures up of summer and sittin’ by the ocean.

- All I Want is You by U2 – love this song. That’s all I have to say.

- Bright Side of the Road by Van Morrison – this song makes me want to dance around.

- Amber by 311 – this song makes me think of Hawaii; I love that damn place.

- 32 Flavors Ani DiFranco’s version – I dig the idea behind this song. “I am 32 flavors and then some”…oh yeah!

- These are the Days by Natalie Merchant - this reminds me of my closest and most hilarious friends and our own addition to the refrain when we would sing…you and you and you and me!

- Who’s That Girl? by Madonna – embarrassing admission but for some reason I love to hear this song when the weather gets warm and I will never be able to explain why. It is a complete mystery to me.

What song(s) do you want to hear right now?
 

…would you rather be ridiculously happy or hilariously funny?

You can only choose one. What will it be?