My
family has always thought me a bit of a silly or foolish person for wanting to
live my life with the soul purpose of enjoying the now to create one-of-a-kind memories - rather than surrendering to the complacency of being a
stodgy adult, like so many do. Having the heart of a gypsy with an insatiable travel lust
fueled many of my life endeavors.
I now know that said purpose in life was a desire of a young and callow
heart blamelessly blinded by desire.
While
I thrived on living “wild and free”, I admit, there were times when my personal
decisions were not the most conducive to flourishing finances, successful
relationships, or a well planned future; however, I regret little. Every feeling, thought, choice and
action has lead up to this very moment.
Every hour punched on a clock, every den of depression, every musical
performance, every frustrated tear has helped me to learn that I don’t have to
be complacent, nor does adult life require me to be stodgy. I began to think more of my future, rather than only living for the now. I turned to one of my many passions to create a guideline for where it was I wanted to go. Furthering my education in being a general educator was the foundation for creating a personal life map.
A huge
part of building a plan for my future was a vow to love the people I meet while collecting moments rather than
things. This has been a beautiful
undertaking. I do not own much and
live quite simply, but my “moments” collection is vast: individuals met, places
visited, facts learned, stories heard, nature seen, food tried, books shared, men kissed, songs sung…the
list truly go on & on & on & I wouldn’t trade these moments for
anything!
I’m
about to add a whole new chapter for collecting new experiences in my compilation
of moments, and it has an accent! Packing and readying myself for my move to England has made me thankful
that I really don’t accumulate things.
The few items I own are worth little to me as I pack only what I NEED
into two cases and a carry-on.
With luggage in tow, I’m ready to go forth collecting moments with a
few simple guidelines to make this chapter as enriching as possible:
- Be progressive: I will strive to do things differently than most, more creatively,
more passionately.
- Take action: Collecting moments holds no boundaries.
- Miss Frizzle: I’m prepared to “Take chances, make mistakes,
& get messy!"
As I travel onto Suffolk, I hope to instill these guidelines into my students to encourage a generation fueled by collecting meaningful moments rather than things.
