Happy New Year! Glad to be back from my short break. Hope everyone is staying healthy during this “cold” season fraught with viruses galore. If you’re like me, you hear someone sneeze or cough and you run for cover.
The weather here in Georgia has been unreal. Like the rest of the eastern USA, we’ve experienced freezing, and I mean raw, to the bone temperatures. The house stays too cold, and I can’t seem to keep my feet warm. Today, it’s raining and chilly and according to the weather app, temperatures should rise tomorrow. Thank goodness!
The Definition of Perspective – A particular attitude toward or way of regarding something; a point of view; true understanding of the relative importance of things; a sense of proportion.
Due to the cold, lately I only run errands when it is absolutely necessary. Being retired affords me that luxury. That being said, the situation has given me the time to do some soul searching. Giving some thought and utilizing my old lady perspective, I looked back at the past few years and questioned. Had I always taken the easy road? Were the choices and decisions I made due to how I perceived my life was supposed to go? Who knows?
Of course, seeing myself as a qualified adult and all-around nice gal, I made what I thought were good choices, shared various opinions (being neither meek nor soft spoken), and owned way too many assumptions. Can you relate? Being honest here, sometimes my assumptions were way off the mark and unbelievably illogical. When I voiced my opinions, I mirrored the viewpoints of others due to apathy and/or passivity. By doing things the easy way, poor choices were made. Yikes! As you can see, one’s soul-searching will yield guilt. Oh well, such is life.
“The optimist sees the donut,
the pessimist sees the hole.”
—-Oscar Wilde
But things can change. Every day, month, or year that I’m still alive, there is room for growth. So, in 2024, I plan to gain a new perspective, see things differently. In turn, I’ll try to only impart wisdom from my own experiences and offer educated opinions. I’ll brush up on the facts before making assumptions. This will be a hard road for me, but at least I’ll give it my best shot.
Here’s one man’s opinion on perspective.
The Road Not Taken
by Robert Frost
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I–
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
As far as my writing is concerned, most of 2023 was muddled and foggy. I honestly don’t know why. I couldn’t seem to find THE story, so I occasionally wrote only small bits and pieces that weren’t worth keeping. There were a few promising ideas but I couldn’t make the stories work.
In 2024, I want things to be different. Okay. I will stay the course and be more prolific. My perspective needs to change in order to accomplish this. My outlook will be positive instead of negative. Using this mantra as a version of a New Year’s resolution, I will give it my all. I will write 3-4 pages per day, edit those pages, take time to do research, and also study my craft. I also hope to make more time to read just for pleasure. Lately, I’ve gotten into the Dave Robicheaux Series by James Lee Burke – very gritty, but a great detective series. Because Santa Claus brought me an iPad for Christmas, I’m also beginning French Braid by Ann Tyler on my tablet. For me, it’s a first.
Can you change your outlook? Change how you see your life? Or maybe make a twist in the attitude department, or even make a choice to do less or do more? Life is always about the choices we make, but it’s also about how we see ourselves, don’t you think? What’s your perspective?
February is right around the corner! The month represents everything to do with the heart. My husband recently had a virtual heart scan which said he was in pretty good shape. That allowed us to breathe a huge sigh of relief. After all, he’s no kid. People are living longer with the help of modern technology and good cardiologists. Don’t let things slide. If you are having any heart issues, please see a reputable doctor. As they say, the heart knows what it knows. That applies to the physical as well as the emotional.
Since I won’t post this blog again until the end of February, here’s wishing you a Happy Valentine’s Day! Some folks don’t celebrate Valentine’s Day, but my husband, Mike, and I do. We make a big deal about it and always exchange cards and go out to dinner at a favorite spot. Why not? We’re still in love!!
My novel, RELATIVE CONSEQUENCES, is available at the following:
BookShop – https://bit.ly/3IMV1Nk
Amazon – https://amzn.to/3GN4l1M
Barnes & Noble – https://bit.ly/35BMdLW
Kobo – https://bit.ly/3IStGKl
BooksAMillion – https://bit.ly/3OifwDp
I hope to have a guest author join me next month. Thank you so much for reading my blog. Stay well and safe.
Jody
Jody Herpin 