Saturday, June 30, 2012

What comes next:

My imagination has decided that the end of one thing definitely means the beginning of several others. Quite suddenly I am buzzing with project ideas. I want to spring clean. I want to clear out my walk-in-wardrobe and convert part of it into a linen shelf so that my little pantry cupboard can actually house food rather than towels and tablecloths. I want to set up a shop on ebay and sell the clothes I love but haven't worn in a while. I want to pack up bundles of my favourite books and leave them hidden in public places with a note telling some stranger to enjoy the stories. I want to finish all the half-read books on my bookshelf. I want to get back into art lessons with my little brother. I want to get the Pentax fixed and go on a film-shooting spree. I want to start new journals and new writing projects. I want to open a cafe that's open till late at night and people can bring their homework or their girlfriends or their grandpa or their guitars and sit, surrounded by books and freshly-baked muffins. I'd like to do all of the above -- tomorrow, if possible.

Most of this list -- leaving aside the glorious book cafe -- might actually happen someday, but none of those things are likely to happen tomorrow. Because life quickly establishes its own full-to-the-brim rhythm. Before a gap opens up, something else comes to fill the not-yet-empty place. I often bemoan this fact, the sense that there is never time to stop and breathe after one thing before the next race begins. Really though, I'm thankful for it. It's healthy and life-giving to have a sense of purpose, even a small purpose that's only a part of the jigsaw puzzle that is the greater, overarching purpose.

I floundered for a while wondering what would happen post-degree. What about continuing study? What about money? I think I gave myself extra grey hairs overthinking everything. And then of course, things happened in such a landslide that I was left looking sheepish over my own doubt. Within the space of two weeks, I got accepted into the Master's program I'd been hoping to study, I was offered a challenging but right-down-my-alley part time job, and I sold a story! I could almost see God with hands on hips (suddenly it seems irreverent to imagine God standing there hands on hips; does He even have hips?), saying, "Seriously, you assumed I'd forgotten about you?"

So that's what comes next for me. I've got two weeks of work -- teaching English and history privately to two teens and two pre-teens -- under my belt, and I'm one week into an MA in writing. I'm enrolled in some great classes and I have masses of amazing related reading to dive into. In other words I'm blessed, even though I'm a wimp and oh so good at freaking out.

What comes next for you?

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The lovely folk at PocketChange included the old blog in their Best of the Web roundup, which is pretty sweet of them! Be sure to check it out; I've been lurking the Best of the Web posts and found some lovely new blogs to explore and enjoy.

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Conversations:

Rebecca Simon -- thanks, sweet lady!

Caitlin - Crafty Crackpot -- thank you, Caitlin! And I totally agree: my family is definitely so cool. And please don't consider yourself slack in the letter-writing department. Your supposed slackness doesn't even appear on the graph when contrasted with my intense slackness!

Katie -- those little white paws are surprisingly good at shoulder massages. :D

Andrea -- I still wish you could've been there, too :). [And glad you like the slightly tweaked layout]

Domesticwarriorgoddess -- thank you, lovely Charis.

Cara -- I think unpacking is sometimes more overwhelming than packing! Good luck with it. I look forward to hearing more when you have a chance... and I need to update you with lots of things!

Rach -- thanks for the tag! <3

Amanda -- yes indeed you MUST have a little party.

Meaghan -- love you. xx

HarrietCoombe -- thank you, lovely. I love you. x

8 comments:

  1. Congratulations, Danielle, on completing school and getting accepted into a masters program! How wonderful!

    The fact that I am even leaving a comment on your blog is a testament that I too have completed a milestone in "higher education"! Whoopie! And I too, looking at my packed schedule for the summer, have to wonder how in the world did I even have time to do school the past three years? Next up projects include making a new CD with my family, a cross country trip, and house decluttering and painting. God certainly doesn't allow me to get bored!

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  2. Nice plug on pocket change...can you believe you're among the best on the web? :)

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  3. That's an amazing list of things you want to do! It's just a shame there are only twenty-four hours in a day and we're required to spend at least some of them sleeping. How are we meant to get all of these things done?

    If you work out the answer to that, please share!

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  4. I can so understand your thoughts about the unceasing busyness of life! We often wish for just a :few: moments of quiet before the next :thing: but I think that sometimes when we do get those moments we don't actually appreciate them like we do in hindsight! :) Your plans sound fun though and I hope you enjoy this next season of life! Much love x

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  5. Congrats on finishing school (and starting again), and the job, thats really awesome stuff!

    As for the feeling of one million things you should do versus the things you can actually physically do at the given time, yep been there, am there actually.

    and you cafe I would so be there surrounded by books making coffee and baking muffins, listen to music and watching people write and hang out, thats one of my dreams too

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  6. You're amazing! And famous! And best on the web, to boot!

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  7. Ohhhh, please would you open that cafe? Down the road from me? There's a massive niche in the market. Wow, I got so excited thinking about it.
    Also, I might buy your clothes off ebay! What kind of things are you selling?
    I agree with the sense of purpose thing....such a juggling act to being busy but not cramming our lives too full that we can't enjoy it, or hang out with God.
    Hooray for Masters and other answered prayers! I loved your picture of God hands on hips - I can totally imagine it. Pretty sure he's been doing a bit of that in our lives lately too.

    What comes next for me? I really don't know! For now, I'm going to work at being content in exactly where I'm at, and be open and willing to follow wherever God leads me next. Free feel to hold me to it!

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  8. A couple of weeks ago, too immersed in an espionage-hostage-action-drama show, I had a dream that I was whisked away in a helicopter into witness protection and couldn't go to grad school after all. I was very sad, but then they let me open up a little used bookstore/jewelry shop/cafe with fresh soups, sandwiches, and fudge, and I was suddenly content with my new secret life. ;-)

    But that's not what I'm doing next. I'm researching the effects of Western news media coverage on economic development in Central Asian countries. Which means looking at what happens to Uzbekistan when the New York Times runs a story about their president. My university will pay me to research this for 4-5 years, and let me teach 2 courses in intro to Comm Theory. My nerdy little heart is in heaven. :-)

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