I haven’t posted in a while, I suppose I’ve been working away my summer. Artistically, I’ve been painting, became a member of the Winter Garden Art League, and have submitted my first painting in a juried show. Don’t start with the fist pumps just yet, I am way out of my league in the art league. The competition petrifies me, especially since IF it gets approved for the show, I have to attend a Meet the Artist night, where I stand with those talented artists and greet the art lovers meandering through. It will be humbling.
On the writing front, I applied to write for She Leads Daily (www.sheleadsdaily.com), and was accepted. Please don’t look at the headshot, it was the only picture out of tons that I didn’t look pickled, but there was a deadline, so I had no choice but to submit it. I have discovered I’m the least photogenic person on the planet.
On the home front, I’ve been decluttering, I’ve decided to donate anything that I don’t want to wear, dust, or use. So far, I’ve donated six truck loads and thrown away tons more. I have repainted most walls and carpeting is next. It is no longer that showy Old World Mediterranean. I moved my art studio into my formal living room, for it has the best light. It was the room when someone entered your front door that said, “We are sophisticated.” But, I gotta tell ya… the room lied. Now, it says, “The Adams house is full of vitality and action!” My new standard is every room needs a purpose and if you can’t find one, you have too many rooms.
With all of the working I’ve been doing, I truly needed a family vacation, a time to play with my family and my niece Peyton. I went on a hunt for the perfect family vacation. My criteria was a new culture and a new adventure. I found a house off -the-grid, on top of a mountain, on its own 50 acres, in a rainforest, in the country of Belize. Whew! Trying saying that three times fast.
When we arrived at the airport yesterday a driver loaded us in his van and we were off on a bumpy two hour drive to our destination. On the way, the driver stopped by one of the many Asian- owned convenience stores. While everyone jumped out, I stayed to continue talking to the driver.
I leaned forward. “So, what’s it like to live here?” I asked.
“Oh, it’s wonderful. We in Belize are not like you are in the US. We work five days a week and we enjoy our weekends. We work to survive you know, not to own things. People in the US work and work. You like owning your things, but really those things own you. You know?”
A part of me wanted to get defensive. Stand up for my country!
“Hey you driver man I hope you know I’ve been cleaning out closets all summer! You should have seen the stuff I donated.” Sorry America, I didn’t say it.
Instead, I slid back in my seat, and thought…Consumerism…Is it consuming us?
More next time…
