Life in Ordinary Time
At the end of April, an unexpected turn of events changed my life. My position as a creative copy director was eliminated. I’d been working toward that title most of my career and suddenly, poof! it was gone. I was unemployed for the first time in my working life. Was it scary? Heck yeah. Was it stressful? Absolutely. Was it liberating? Extremely!
I have spent this summer wandering along trails through the woods of Northwestern Connecticut. I have been swimming in lakes, rivers and oceans. I have gazed up at the big blue bowl of sky instead of ceiling tiles. I have tuned in to the rainfall and the bird song rather than tuning out conference calls and executive meetings. I have slept late, I have contemplated much. I have finally had the time to just hang out with the three amazing kids I am blessed to share a life with. To really live in the house we call a home. And, as summer draws to a close, I still haven’t decided exactly what to do next.
Each day I ask myself what are three things I know to be true right now. After 18 weeks, it comes down to these three things. I know that I want to work on my own terms and choose my own clients. I know that I want to be with the people I love and watch these teens grow into even more remarkable and wonderful adults. I know that I have to write.
The need to put words on paper (or in a word doc these days) is as essential as getting out of bed in the morning. Storytelling is like breathing to me. I am always looking for a new tale to tell, for new ways to tell the tales I already know. I want to be a part of brands that are inspired by the elements, built for exploring the outdoors. Brands that exist to preserve and protect the natural world we humans so often take for granted.
So what does one do when handed such a life-changing opportunity? I wake up with gratitude that my day is my own to fill and I get busy. I’m telling my own stories. I built this site with the help of a wonderfully talented designer. I’m writing blog posts. I’m looking for clients. I’m mapping out new trails to hike, finding new paths to follow, charting out new ways to pay my bills. I’m living a simply ordinary life and I’m loving every single minute of it.
