New Day

The first day of the new year was spent walking under a gray sky, in a fine mist which turned into light rain.  Stumbled across art near Kensington  Palace, and took shelter in a Victorian Queen's museum.  Dazzling jewels, hand woven fabrics, twentieth century furnishings -- collections from other eras and cultures, beautifully displayed.  Back out on the street, under a purple umbrella I walked past Harrods and pubs I frequented in my 20s.  Knightsbridge, Sloane Square, Chlesea, slick in the early evening rain.  The day ushering a new decade was calm and quiet.  My mood tranquil, relaxed and hopeful.

Stepping Forward

New Year's Eve is for dreaming.  I sensed the anticipation and excitement of the approaching new year as I ambled with a friend in Hampstead in the shadow of the Heath. Faces were bright, pleasantries plentiful. I took the long way home, through Notting Hill, down Portobello Road and along Westbourne Grove.  Shops, whose windows were decorated with twinkling pine trees, evening gowns and champagne glasses, were closing early.  Enthusiasm seemed to turn contemplative as twilight fell.  What will transpire in the coming year?  What possibilities will unfold?  What disappointments lurk in the gloom?  What challenges will I encounter?  What fears will I overcome?  Time, a man made marker.  A way to project and reflect.  From one day to the next we walk into the unknown.  What do I wish for?  To step forward into 2011 with gratitude, openness and grace.

Core Story

Today's reverb 10 prompt: Core Story

What central story is at the core of you, and how do you share it with the world?

The story at my core has been about my work.  Post college I had an entry level job at MTV which  transformed into much, much more.   I seemed destined to have a career, to travel, to manage others, to create, to lead, to learn and to grow in ways I never imagined.  Doors opened and I kept stepping through them until one day I wondered what it would be like to experience another path.  One that didn't consume as much time.  One that wasn't riddled with back stabbing colleagues and politics.  What if I said no and found another way?  Fifteen months ago a portal opened putting me on that exact road.  Ironically, In 2010 the absence of work has been at the core of my story.  The pendulum has swung from one extreme to the other and although gratitude and joy have defined 2010, I know my true destiny is in finding balance.

Gift

Today's reverb 10 prompt:  Gift

This month, gifts and gift-giving can seem inescapable. What’s the most memorable gift, tangible or emotional, you received this year?

The universe conspired in the unlikeliest of ways to give me the gift of time.  I have the luxury to not work, to restore and rejuvenate, to refresh my mind, my soul, and my creative reservoirs.  My path is atypical and nontraditional, and I know I'm truly blessed.  I don't take a second for granted.

Morning/Night

Morning/Night

Defining Moment

Today's reverb 10 prompt: Defining Moment

Describe a defining moment or series of events that has affected your life this year.

It was a conversation I had with a friend while hiking, of course.  Everything became clear, the literal and figurative path in front of me was illuminated.   The timing was crucial, faultless.  The epiphany couldn't have happened a moment sooner or later.  This defining moment made me believe in the process, in being patient, in letting life unravel as planned by the universe, not by me.