That’s the way it is

I know I’m not the only inhabitant on this earth of ours who has moments of drop-your-jaw creativity–that kind of astonishing cleverness that makes your head spin, fingers snap, feet skip, and heart sing. 

Some of earth’s occupants y’all have that drop-your-jaw creativity and astonishing cleverness with extraordinary regularity–and that just annoys me.

Frankly, I am wide-eyed aware that it would be dreamy if I could just let that be the way that it is. Seriously. No grumbling, mumbling, whining, lamenting, weeping, wailing, or gnashing my teeth about it.

I’m just annoyed.

Granted, I don’t have that feeling all of the time–but I definitely have it.

For instance, some days I’ll notice that:

–Facebook Fannabelle and Fredenstein have a stream of friends liking their clever status updates, insightful observations, whimsical photographs, and jaunty camera angles.

–Inga Instagram has a gazillion likes, almost as many comments, and 1,237 followers.

–Shaneeqwa-a-shay-shay-wah has lost half of her body weight and seems to be able to maintain a consistent exercise program in spite of working 26-hour days, teaching yoga, coaching little league, canning, gardening, picking up trash on the side of the Interstate, and baking organic treats for local animal shelter employees.

[That is the best name in all of the world to say.  Not so much to fingerspell–but to say.]

–Nellabelle Neighbor seems to do so much more with her time than I do and she has 100% more children and she goes to bed at a reasonable hour.

–Betty Blogger expresses herself so clearly, blogs consistently, comes up with creative ideas, and manages to decorate every room of her house every week of every year with 14 children, a cake decorating business on the side, and a small island to relocate just because she thinks she needs to.

[You know I’m exaggerating about the island relocation thing, right?]

~grin~

Someone asked me today if there was anything I couldn’t do. 

~sigh~

There are scads, bundles and scores of things I can’t do–and a whole bunch more of the very same that I thought I could do but tried and failed.  Psh.  Those are the things people usually don’t get to see.  Usually.

[Which is intentional.]

[Drum roll, please.]

Here are a few of the scads, bundles, and scores of things that don’t always turn out the way I’d like them to.

–There have been more than I can even count projects that ended up in the garbage.  (Rugs, curtains, pillows, seat covers, dresses, lampshades…)

–I forget things.

–I sometimes think faster than I’m able to efficiently filter.

–I don’t run. 

–There are parts that I can audition for until I’m blue in the face that I will never get.

–I’m not a classical singer.

–I’ve painted a wall with a new color–and painted over it the next day.

–I don’t know how to play the violin, the bassoon, the tuba–you name it–I don’t know how to play it.

–I’ve written blogs that were boring and awkward.  [Don’t say it.]

–I’m not a photographer.

Okay–you get the picture. 

[You have to know that list is not conclusive, right?]

There are days and weeks and months when creativity has fled the building–aaaaand– there will be years (that reach into a lifetime) of simply not knowing how to do most of what there is in the world to do.

And that’s how it is.

Rocks are hard.
Ice is cold.
Summer is hot.
Worms cover the sidewalk when it rains.
Spiders are quick.
Babies are cute.
You know stuff.
You don’t know stuff.
Someone knows something you don’t.
You know something they don’t.

Ta-da.

I love days when you feel a tremendous amount of gratitude for people you have the good fortune to associate with.  The kind of days when creativity, cleverness and every good characteristic and ability you see in others is a magnificent thing–and doesn’t threaten your own creativity, cleverness and all that.

Those kinds of days occur regularly enough that I see the merit of having even more of them.

BoOm.