Yesterday the Passion Pit resembled
a petrified forest. Our desiccated tree,
garland, boughs, and wreaths are now
down. And all of the acoutrements
are boxed up and back in the attic.
Eliminating any holiday spirit left
is like taking a master cleanse. While
the process can be uncomfortable -
one ultimately feels much better post
the removal of all residual toxins. Our
home once again feels like home. And
given it's five below outside, we can
be fairly assured no one is stopping by.
It's been lightly snowing for two days
with the thermometer hovering around
zero. At this point we've got over a foot
on the ground and it's beyond beautiful.
Many of you may be shivering just at
the thought of our winter weather but
I actually welcome the quiet solitude
that comes with it. There's no better
stay cation than cocooning away from
it all. Now that my holiday thank yous
are written and mailed, I can get down
to important business. You know... the
stuff like figuring out what's next.
When I exited my last position in late
April - I promised myself a respite till
the new year. During that hiatus we
weren't sitting around doing nothing.
Moving into the Passion Pit took time
and even today, we can't find things.
Adjusting to being with each other
full time has been "interesting." In
the old days we spent our days apart.
Now we each have an office within
the Passion Pit. That plus a regularly
scheduled morning routine enables us
to live happily together... yet far apart.
So, the obvious question is what's next?
Frankly my answer is who knows? I've
got lots of ideas and a few irons in some
long distance fires. That said, my heart
is here in Lewistown and if I've learned
anything over the last few months it's
that this is HOME. I'm the happiest I've
been in a long time hence my hesitation
to jump into anything that might screw
it up. Given we're quite comfortable,
there's no rush. And oddly, that's simply
fine with me. For the first time in my life
I have no idea where I'm going or when!
Have I mellowed? Has my intellectual
prowess become flabby? Am I hiding
here in rural Montana from something?
Could it be that I've become lazy? It
seems that my current state of mind is
a combination of several of the above.
Some suggest I should be worried given
any value and relevance to my vocation
may soon fade away like my youth. Yet
once one has finally hit that sweet spot,
that state of personal nirvana, it's hard to
want to do anything but enjoy and learn
from this private and professional hiatus.
Have you ever really taken a break?
It's hard to step away in order to be
able to professionally chill out. We
all take on responsibility in bits and
pieces. Without realizing it - that
burden becomes so great that it can
break us. If given the chance to start
anew, many discover that most of
what we assumed was important is
worthless. So, what's your dream?
What are you doing today to make
your fantasy your reality? Are you
ready to change your destination?
