awakening

Today I was walking from my car back into my apartment, climbing up the concrete stairs that lead to the building door, arms full of Licorice's blanket and a container of green beans and basmati rice, the dog himself at the end of his bright red leash which was wrapped around my hand.

An eccentric looking older man with thick dark rimmed glasses and a fedora paused on his way out of his apartment building which is opposite mine. "What a character that dog is!" he exclaimed with delight. He went on to discuss how Licorice's cow doggie marks and his general appearance make him look like a dog with a great personality.

We started talking about art. He recited some of his poetry to me and talked about the seven arts which are:

• poetry/literature
• visual arts (paintings/photography)
• sculpture
• dance
• music
• architecture
• theatre (drama)

and I was educated about those individual arts and the merits of each of them. We discussed the city of Hamilton and how it was making a transition from simply being blue collar to also containing something special for those who seek to make an artistic career for themselves. He told about several interesting galleries and performers coming to Hamilton and the fact that a rich ultra-Conservative David Braley has paid for free admission to the Hamilton Art Gallery on Tuesday and Thursday. (You can read more about Braley here.)

Of course the topic swung around to the personal art that we have done and I mentioned a bit about how I was interested in doing photography years ago and how it's still something I have a fondness for.

"You're what we call a shadow artist," he pontificated. "You're watching and following the art circles while your own interests and talents have been laid aside for the time being."

He's right. I have put away those dreams for whatever reason, mainly that life is about surviving and that's what I've been doing for the past few years--working to survive and pay bills that I still feel constantly behind on. So, I've allowed myself to become stagnant in my current while become more and more miserable with the situation.

But like all meetings in life that are meant to occur, he went on to say an encouraging word to me. "Your art will awaken when it's the right time..." and Lance went his separate way while Licorice impatiently led me up the stairs and into our large and beautiful apartment with huge windows that let in sunshine and moonlight, a door that people I love pass through on a daily basis, couches that we recline in while laughing and crying...

I feel so much more content now. There's this certainty that eventually I'll find the right way to go and even better, I have an amazing Person who will be travelling beside me and encouraging me along the way.

Don't be discouraged if you feel lost or adrift with your life; everything happens for a reason and you simply need to be patient and wait until the perfect time to bloom arrives for you.

Much love.