Showing posts with label college. Show all posts
Showing posts with label college. Show all posts

Monday, June 8, 2009

Over The Rainbow...








I've always loved having my family around.
We're scattered about the country.
My brother, Michael , a niece, Julie and nephew, Brad, live in Arizona .
Two nieces, Laura and Kirsten live in Oregon.
I try to keep in touch with them more often.
My son, Paul is living with us now and Jen has recently become a Key Wester.

When Jen told me she was moving from her condo, my heart sank.
She and I are close and we really enjoy doing things together.
I trust Jen with her judgment and hope her new path
will be happier.

As much as everyone means and has meant so much to me,
their lives are important.
It's not easy to know which direction to take, but one has to
trust one's feelings and believe in God's plan for us.




















Saturday, May 9, 2009

Down the Yellow Brick Road...


Where have all the years gone, and so quickly?
These thoughts cross my mind every once in awhile,
especially now as I've had my 62nd birthday.
If I could, would I go back to an earlier time, back
to my teen years or my college days?

If I'd had a way of foretelling the future, I may
have done a few things differently, change my
direction a bit, but then again...
If I'd fallen in love at 19 with the handsome Italian
fella living next door, who I felt was in love with me
at the time , I'd no doubt have a houseful of kids.
But, I might also be divorced—since that was his
status a few years ago, and still might be.


If I'd been more motivated to finish college and
get a degree, I'd be teaching English Comp right now.
When I'd moved to San Francisco in 1970, I was working
at a local store. From the entrance I heard,
“Nancy, what on God's earth are you doing working here?”
My jaw dropped.

It was my former college professor, Jean Wilkinson,
who'd had very high aspirations for me.
She'd kept many of the works I'd written, and thought
I would've pursued a writing career, at the very least.
Presently, I'm still writing: short stories and romantic poetry,
as well as this blog.

If I'd followed my parents to Oregon instead of moving to
the Bay Area, I would've never met my husband, a handsome
airline captain,and had our two children.
Nor would I have had the opportunity to meet Charlton Heston
or Bing Crosby who were customers of mine one day.

We now live in South West Florida, which has changed the
direction of my life. I'm a freelance photographer, living a dream
I've always had--sequestered in the back of my mind.
I'm an artist, too.

Life is often convoluted.
You're never sure what each day is going to bring.
Ah, to be a kid again...?
Not a chance.

Thursday, May 7, 2009

Bumpy Road Ahead...


Who said life was fair?
Things, big and small, all have a way of creeping into our everyday existence. Whether it's someone who cuts you off in traffic or the barking dog left outdoors for hours, these annoyances can simmer and boil, until you feel yourself changing into Frankenstein.

You suddenly start thinking of ways of getting back: the middle finger's been on vacation for awhile—what's one little wiggle going to hurt..? Yes, I'm guilty!
The barking dog a few door's down may eventually become dinner for our neighborhood coyote, panther, or alligators--of which there are three inhabiting the lake close by.

Yes, it's sometimes fun to entertain thoughts of revenge.
We're only human, after all.
Some annoyances needle and wedge, and cause brewing worries, until something alien takes over.
You've suddenly become a victim of a bad science experiment!
Where did rational thought go?

I've discovered the more something hovers over you, overwhelming your normal brain function, the more inclined your health—mental and otherwise—will suffer.
Increased blood pressure, junk food snacking, losing sleep, all add up to a doctor's visit.

My friend, “Mark” [see the archived blog, On the horizon..] has been stressfully waiting for a meeting with administration of the college where he instructs.
For two weeks, he's worried himself, speculating about the meeting, and what it may mean to him in relation to his job.
His blood pressure has gone through the roof.
I've commiserated with him, offering support and encouragement.

Allowing negative thoughts to upset your life to such a degree , is like speeding down a road with a sign saying DANGEROUS CURVES AHEAD.
There will always be worry of the unknown, and annoyances that want to burrow, but neither of these should be a winner...