diving and surfacing

I think the theme for this year is going to be about finding a rhythm for diving and surfacing; solitary time and shared time; things written and things left blank.

Whale is a totem animal I haven't visited with much lately, but it's probably time. The last few years have featured several Big Goals to work toward, fueling a sense of drive and purpose. Now, I've reached a point where it's more about "trustee" work -- preserving what I've got, boosting my sense of ownership, and making smaller changes toward smaller goals. No less meaningful, just not quite so BIG. It requires a shift in focus, I think, to keep me from losing focus entirely. I'm remembering something adammaker wrote about some time ago:

Input | Output | Focus | Flow

Whale is a chronicler, too. I've missed writing much on LJ -- processing both privately and with specific concentric circles of friends -- as well as more old-fashioned journaling. Words make me happy: scribbling lists, composing letters, binding sentiment and meaning with ink and electrons.

So it's not so much a set of resolutions as a reboot of mindfulness. Or something. :)

not so much "the" decade as "my" decade

I have now lived in the KC area for ten years -- the longest I've ever lived anywhere in my whole life. (Actually, I passed that mark at just over five years, but this milestone seems remarkable all on its own.)

It's been pretty amazing to experience the shifting orbits -- the intersections and distances -- with friends found and lost over that decade. I'm grateful for the sense of place I have now...and the sense of "hometown" my girls have that I never did.

Never would I have guessed that my life would take root here, or anticipated the inner journeys that ten years in one place would bring. Difficult though it's been, I don't think I'd bargain to change anything, given the rewards.

I suspect the selection of folks reading my LJ these days isn't quite the same as it was even a couple of years ago. Still...I thank you all.
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