Carolina Blue Collection--my largest artwork yet, 24 x 48
40---an age that is quickly approaching in 2 months. Where did the first half of my life go? What is to come in the last half?
It's hard to believe that 10 years has passed since we moved to North Carolina. It's been a good move overall, but it's taken me several years to even feel like I am part of a community. A lot of that is probably my fault and my lack of involvement with anything other than work and home. This last year though, I did step out and join a few groups that I have a lot in common with and it really has opened many new doors for me, both in the sense of community and in the sense of bonding with others which is really necessary especially when we don't have any family within several hundred miles.
It's funny, the community I've found isn't just outside of these four walls in the town around me. A big portion of my feelings of belonging and bonding has come from those I have met through my blog and a couple of other online groups I've joined. It definitely is a 'sisterhood' of sorts.
It makes me think that I should have unlocked these doors and wandered down the path much sooner than I did. It might have made the last ten years a little less lonely. That's my fault, I don't know what I expected--for people to magically find me at my house making a cake and invite themselves over for coffee and conversation?
To the naked eye, you might not realize the many, many layers of an individual.
But it's there. Peel the layers, look underneath and you will find some amazing things. Some amazing people. (pic is a before shot of the section that has 'home' on it).
You definitely need to wander down many roads to find exactly what you are looking for in life. You'll never get there if the journey is not started. Things are happening fast because I started to step out, to experiment, to discover, to network, to bond, to push myself in areas I'm not so comfortable and to explore what is within.
Two things that are very important in the journey of discovery, Friends....
And of course, family.
discover
explore
network
enjoy
peace
aspire
inspire
soar
dream
.....still have doubts, still have worries, still have anxieties but what's different now is that I'm not as alone during those days. It's good to be able to call Carolina Blue Town my home.
((To see the complete set of my Carolina Blue Collection, please visit my flickr page! These pieces are only available locally in Southern Pines, if you are interested in any of my collection, please email me at johl3 at windstream dot net ))
