The Heartbeat of the Story

Poster for Wonder Woman

In the last year two new movies "Wonder Woman" and "The Last Jedi" hit the movie screens and people of all ages and genders flocked to the theatres to take flight in a fantasy of possibilities. The entertainment factor appealed to our imagination.  Both women persevered and abandoned the life they'd planned, much like each of us do day by day, except Wonder Woman and the young Jedi possessed the gifts of power and strength that we can only enjoy via the movie screen or books.  Each heroine carried a purpose "to save the world from Evil."

  We must be willing to get rid of the life we've planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us. 
       --Joseph Campbell

There were decades in my life, as a parent and teacher when I truly believed I could  make a difference in the world. It might be only in tiny steps, but my purpose remained clear--leave the world a better place than I found it by making a positive impact on the lives of children.


   Follow your bliss and the universe will open doors for you where there were only walls. 
      --Joseph Campbell
   



Like Wonder Woman I discovered that I couldn't do it all, but I could do my best for children every day.  Luckily, I stepped into the world of children's literature when hired for my first library job in a public library where twice I'd been kicked out: Once as a child when my little sister would not stop crying and we were asked to leave;  The other time when my orneriness created too much havoc on a quiet study night and the librarian told me to exit. 

The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek.  --Joseph Campbell

Along the way to saving the world, one child at a time, I found friends and fellow teachers, who believed as I. Our desire to help each child drove us to be better people and teachers. Even with

dream and purpose, we are not heroines nor heroes of newspapers and books, we are instead, as my mother liked to describe 'the heartbeat of our family.'

We're not on our journey to save the world but to save ourselves. But in doing that you save the world. The influence of a vital person vitalizes.           --Joseph Campbell

Feelin' Groovy

How many types have I typed shut this or shut that only to look at the screen and read sh_t.  Like "Cathy" the cartoon character, I scream "Ack!"  Then attempt to laugh at my mistakes (yes, thankful for spell check not auto check), but some days I'm so frustrated with my brain/keyboard connections that I want to throw up the computer. 

From the decades of  motherhood to the present day the erratic search for methods and activities to slow me down has given me insights to: meditation  (no success); refreshing long walks (successful); Tai chi, too slow (no success) but might try it again someday: Yoga (helpful). Hen I realized that singing quietly in my head while playing golf helps me focus and relax outside, so who not use it on the computer. 

Relaxing and letting my mind search for music I began to hum-- 
  Slow down, you move too fast
  You got to make the morning last
  Just kicking down the cobblestones
  Looking for fun and feelin' groovy...

Savannah's cobblestones.

I'm no longer running down the cobblestones, but I am running and moving my fingers over the keys fart to quickly.

Long sigh!  

  


  Hello, lamppost, what'cha knowin?
  I've come to watch your flowers growin'
  Ain't' cha got no rhymes for me?
  Doot-in doo-doo, feelin' groovy

This is retirement, why am I not watching the flowers growing instead of rushing from one task to another?

But rhymes, yes rhymes do help in the form of poetry by Mary Oliver, Nathan Brown, or occasionally Ruth Zardo, a poet of Louise Penny's imagination. 


  I got no deeds to do
  No promises to keep
  I'm dapples and drowsy and ready to sleep
  Let the morning time drop all its petals on me
  Life, I love you
  All is groovy.
Feeling Groovy by Simon and Garfunkel

Bougainvillea leaves floating

Long sigh! Just sitting
Listening to my heart beat
Feeling groovy, smiling
Tapping to the beat.

Eureka! Finally, I've thought of my first "Try Something New for 30 Days" challenge (Try Something New) except mind will be for 28 days.  I will listen to music every day, perhaps a little Norah Jones, Enya, Wayman Tisdale, or simply ripples of musical blends to open my mind to new sounds. 

***All arrows are self-inflicted :):)