Springing

As always, things are busy.

My ex-wife and I were talking over the weekend (that in and of itself can be news depending on where the conversation goes) and she asked if I ever slow down.  I tried to explain that I'm too busy living life to stop - that there's so much to see and do and experience the only limiting factors are my own creativity and energy level, money, and the number of hours in a day.

Saturday I went to Washington DC.  It was an honor to celebrate Amanda Simpson's 50th birthday with her mom and other good friends.  I spent the rest of the day with a friend enjoying a very pretty afternoon at the Cherry Blossom festival.  It was awesome.

Cherry Blossoms and Jefferson Memorial

And Sunday I drove to Rochester to celebrate my niece's 20th Birthday and for one more appointment with my dentist there.  My idea of slowing down was to spend an hour getting a Spring pedicure, and melting into the massage chair.  Most of my stress seems to localize in knots between my shoulder blades and the way that chair kneads and pushes is pure heaven.  I SO needed that.

Today I'm headed to Philadelphia for a day-trip.

Tomorrow I have been asked to be one of the Judges that will help review the finalists for the annual Patriot News Best and Brightest. Apparently it's a big deal and it's certainly an honor to participate.  I and other local notables review the finalist applications submitted by graduating high school seniors from around the region.

I've got trips down the east coast and out to Phoenix in my near future as well.  I need to do my taxes.  I've got some interviews to do.  All told, busy days.

What next for Donna?  I'm not sure yet.  Still considering options.  It's not a decision I want to be hurried into making but practical realities will force a decision sooner rather than later.  The key is to have options.

I had a wonderful chat with my oldest niece yesterday.  We haven't had an opportunity talk like that in a number of years.  When I first came out to my family she took it as a personal mission to help me learn a number of the social aspects that I had missed in my upbringing.  She attended Keystone with me a couple of years ago and has a very special sense of empathy.

She's engaged now and all grown up and we talked a lot about things like love and relationships and future.  I explained to her that although I have some amazing friends I don't know that I've found "that" person in my life yet.  I'll be honest in admitting that I know some people with whom I feel a special bond for one reason or another but won't let myself investigate opportunities to explore deeper intimacies.  She found it fascinating that I could control my emotions like that.  I found it fascinating that she can't.  Anyway - it was a great chat.

Part of it was instigated by a song I heard recently:



It speaks for itself.

There's lots going on in the advocacy world at the moment.  I don't feel connected with much of it at the moment.  Somehow, just living and doing and being is keeping me busy enough.