Rude Awakening

Saturday must have been quite a rude awakening for my little snow drop flower. Friday, it was starting to bloom, reveling in the fresh air, not having the burden of snow on its leaves. I can imagine how it felt. An early spring, a time to show off. A head start on the future. Saturday, the poor snow drop was covered in cold, white snow.

I can also imagine how it felt on Saturday. How easy it is to get ahead of myself, to dream, to imagine. Then, reality hits.

Life is supposed to be about twists and turns, but sometimes we don't like it when they affect us.

I don't much like it, right now.

The Arts

I took a career decision-making self-evaluation yesterday. I always thought I pretty much knew what I wanted to do and what I was good at, but the opportunity presented itself.

I was quite surprised when my most dominant career cluster was "the arts." That was followed by "scientific," which wasn't that much of a surprise.

Although the tag surprised me, the descriptions didn't. People with a strong interest in the arts usually:

• prize independence
• enjoy creative activities
• actively seek opportunities for self-expression

People with a strong scientific interest usually:

• are curious, creative, and studious
• like to work with theories and unproved ideas
• prefer to work alone

What is really interesting is that my first career, geology, and subsequent careers, technical writer/communications, and current interests, opera, all fit perfectly into this assessment system.

Unfortunately, almost all jobs within these categories have a a Poor employment outlook.

So I am doing what I want to do, just won't be able to keep doing it (here). Now there's a twist for me!

An open ear

I never considered hearing to be my best sense. I've always been very creative, but that creativity has played out with touchable things-quilts, knitted scarfs or sweaters, or my garden. But yesterday, I had an experience with music that made me rethink my assessment of myself--and consider what I might have missed over the years.  

A few days ago, a fellow skater put a high-energy CD on the player. This was music we all used to skate to about 10 years ago, but somehow it had fallen out of favor--or maybe we were too lazy to bring in CDs, so we skated to the radio. I was surprised at how much better a skate I had with this fast-paced music. I skated faster, felt more energized, and skated longer than I had previously this year. Ah, maybe the music played a role?

About four years ago, I went to a HD broadcast of an opera. I have never liked opera. Too little action, too much singing about minor things, too much singing. But this HD broadcast changed everything! I fell in love, and attend operas about 10 times a season. Ah, maybe the music played a role?

So what do these two incidents have in common? Something played to the hearing sense. For more than 40 years, I always felt that hearing was my 'worst' sense. I wonder what I missed? I better keep an open ear in the future.

Now it feels like the end

I received the severance check from my former employer today. Although I've been "relieved of my duties" since the end of November, today really felt like the end.

It's going to be hard to find the energy to find a job.

I need to find that next twist.