Double

Today's image-word is Double... meaning two-fold or paired.

There are other interpretations of the word --- my favorite being "deceitful" which is where I guess you get the term "double-agent"... My parents raised me on James Bond movies so I tend to go right for the spy references.

DoubleMint gum was my favorite growing up... I'm just slightly too tall for a double bed (my toes hang off when I lie on my stomach)... But I digress.

I see these two doors often. They are quite similar but ever so slightly individual. I believe they actually lead into the same space with no barrier once you're inside. Kind of peculiar, but I've found there are usually at least two ways to get where you're going...

Kind of like life...

Entering the Danger Zone on a Tuesday

A friend of mine recently asked on Facebook "What do you do to keep yourself going in the pursuit of your dreams when it feels like they will never happen?"...

That's always one of those tough questions for me. On the surface I say "Just keep doing what you're doing..." but that is tough. And that is enough for Self-Doubt to rear its ugly head. I keep plugging along and all of a sudden I look up and realize I'm not where I want to be... I'm usually where someone else wants me to be and that sucks... Because no one else (save for my mother) really has my best interests at heart.

That's when I look over to another Post-It note on the windowsill --- "When you tell yourself you're not talented, just know there's a moron with self-esteem making tons of money doing something you're better at!"

I guess I should put some time into working on my self-esteem each week...

Things to Do Over a 3-Day Weekend

I worked for so long in TV news (13 years, 9 months to be exact... if you're into that), that I have a difficult time remembering that it's "normal" to not work on holidays. I'm always caught a little off guard. I usually have to be reminded that I don't actually need to be in a work situation.

It's not that I ignore holidays --- I don't. I've just developed a private manner of observing them.

Like this particular holiday --- Memorial Day.

Both of my fathers (my biological "blood" dad from whom I got my nose and other more mysterious inheritances and my "bonus" dad who accepted me as his own when my mom married him) served in the military. I can't really bring myself to wish anyone a "Happy" Memorial Day because, well... I miss both of these men. Remembering is necessary but sometimes I wish I could call them up.

So when I start wallowing (which I know neither of them would be impressed with that behavior), I do what I always do to lift my spirits --- I pull out a camera and take pictures. I set about visually documenting things... Little, seemingly inconsequential things to which I can attach memories that mean the world to me.

Take care and remember on this Memorial Day.

Friday Photo

Golden

Back to shooting on a theme... Today's theme is Golden... because at this time of year, that's what sunset is all about.

A Case of the Mondays

I really don't have anything against any day of the week... Time is, after all, a man-made construct. But Mondays usually bring out a level of nasty/mean/crazy in people that just doesn't make any sense.

In an attempt to circumvent a case of the Mondays, I'm just going to post something sparkly and pretty and get on with it...

Happy Monday.

Vice

We all have them. Some of us can conquer them --- I successfully quit smoking cold turkey in 1989. Some of us struggle --- I could, to this day, pick up right where I left off with the 2 to 3 pack a day habit.

And then some of us just find a different vice to court... When I worked in TV news, I drank way too much Mountain Dew. I gave that up. And now I get my caffeine from coffee... I guess it's the same vice but a different delivery system. But there's more with coffee.

Part of the attraction is being able to walk into my local Starbucks and not even have to order... I can say "Hi, how are you?" and they know exactly what I drink. It's that five minutes of being treated as someone who is welcome and wanted...
I guess that means I've traded caffeine and cigarettes for coffee and comfort... I think I can live with that.