Wherever You Go...

"Our battered suitcases were were piled on the sidewalk again; we had longer ways to go. But no matter, the road is life."

For some people, the urge to flee is like mother's milk, and they thrive on the casting off of tethers. In needing to be settled, I on the other hand, tend to find comfort in the familiarity of a home, a designated place. Yet, that same urge comes creeping in, on occasion, clawing at the edges of my nerves like a curious little kitten.

It would be easy for me to say that my current urge to relocate to a tiny rust belt town and start a new life on some dusty porch comes from a recent trip to Michigan. This is partly true.

The other part is the scary part. When faced with the possibility of real risk, or of making an adult decision, or of coming too close to something that I desperately want, my initial reaction is to turn coat and leap off a bridge. I think the crux of the problem lies in that in facing the final confrontation with risk, I have to imagine myself vividly in another life, in an intricately painted tableau, just to cushion the blow of a possible letdown. I have to give myself an imaginary out.

Though I would never just drop it all and run, there's comfort in knowing that I've talked myself into the possibility of an alternative, because really, wherever you are is the place to be.

That said, I'm attempting to make a conscious decision to look at the real lesson in that philosophy and remind myself that wherever I am right now is the place to be.

Here's to embracing life with confidence and gusto...and taking a few chances.