It Floats

"You ever feel lost?"
"I invented it. It's mine."
~Forever Young

Except for my online connection, the past few days have left me feeling lost. I know it's the heat. I'm a heat wuss. I simply do not function well when it's over 75 degrees, and I function best when it's 65 or less (and it can be much, much less). It's not that I can't be stoic about the heat, it just leaves me feeling... lost. No other word for it. The worst thing about it is that I haven't felt terribly creative, and that's always a lost feeling for me. It's as if I've been adrift and waiting for someone to throw me some swimmy fins.

No one's throwing me any swimmy fins, life preservers, buoys... nothing of the sort. That's okay. It's not up to them to keep me afloat. It's up to me to stay afloat. Lucky me - I'm good at treading water. I tend to stay very calm in situations that are traditionally panic driven - I'd have made a good field nurse. I wait to panic until it's all said and done. Really. Whenever I've had to play piano and/or sing before a crowd, I'm cool as a cucumber through the whole thing. As soon as I'm done and the applause starts, my legs are so wobbly that it's all I can do to stand up and take a bow.

But. Back to treading water. I remember learning how to do that. I believe it was the Summer that I was five years old. I remember the feel of my chubby legs wiggling slowly back and forth as I got it. I got it! There was that beautiful moment of getting it right, of knowing I was afloat and would stay that way. It takes effort to stay afloat. I learned that too. I also learned that I can stay afloat under my own power - for a very long time if need be.

Thursday, as I was figuratively treading water, I decided to catch the next wave and ride it in to shore. I sent samples of my work and a bit of my history to an online rubber stamp store in hopes of becoming a design team member. I did it, not just because I adore their stamps, but, truthfully, because I was a little bored with simply treading water. When I'm bored, I end up annoying myself, so it's best to quit treading and start swimming. Anyway, I've received a couple of emails back from the owner of the shop saying how much she loves my work. I don't want to be overly hopeful, but I think I've got a good shot at securing the gig.

Being afloat isn't a bad thing...
take the time to look around you while you're treading water...
assess your options...
make a goal, even a teeny one...
and start swimming.