“There was a definite process by which one made people into friends, and it involved talking to them and listening to them for hours at a time.”~ ~Rebecca West (1892–1983) English writer
West’s quote reminds me that being in a new place and essentially, starting over, will indeed involve “talking and listening” for hours at a time–and not only in the process of making new friends, but also, in the putting together of a new life. We make a place ours–“home”– if you will, by the investment we make in it. Even f I don’t stay in this particular community, I’ll most likely stay in this area. So invest I must–in creative pursuits that engage me, and in relationships that sustain me, in experiences that help me keep up courage and the will to go on. What’s the alternative, after all?
Okay, I promise to listen…and not just to people, but to the “Universe”–to all the prompts that enter into my life space saying, “This would be something to explore…here’s a path that looks promising…this may lead you to new good…”
Through the many twists and turns I’ve thus far navigated, more than one friend has noted: “You’re not likely to be voted ‘Miss Congeniality’ but you have a real shot at ‘Miss Resilience’…” so old or not, I guess I get to reinvent myself yet again. (Big Whoopee!) Still, I must admit that once I stop my negative internal mantra: “I shouldn’t have to do this again at my age…” I kind of get excited about the possibilities. I hear my dad saying, “People should move every ten years or so. It keeps us young,” and I’m reminded I can count on all I’ve been and done to carry me successfully to my next experience in living. All I really have to do is give my gifts. I can do that!