Friday, October 18, 2013

Do you look down or do you look up?


I'm still trying to get in a four mile walk every day, although we have had a lot of rain again, and I have been less than motivated to get up and out on these gloomy days. Plus, I have been putting in some late nights at the theater in tech this week. Gerry and I at least got in a nice hike in the mts. and we got in a couple of shorter walks this week. Today I went for a long one after my weight watchers meeting. I weighed in at 148 today, whoop! 13 pounds lost since July!!! I have two more pounds to go to reach my 10% goal and then I will slowly creep back down to my happy weight at 138 or so. It took a few years to get these pounds on, it's gonna take a little longer to get them off, but it's happening. 

Today on my walk I had a metaphor moment. There are six pretty steep hills that I walk and it is a slog up them on some days. When I first started walking them, I could barely make it up the first one. I would keep my head down and just trudge on, thinking that if I didn't look up it wouldn't seem so daunting. But I never could keep my head down the whole way, I would eventually look up and see that I wasn't even halfway there, ugh!

Then one day, on the first hill, I picked a mailbox at the top of the hill, and focused on that. I just kept looking up and and heading for that mailbox, and somehow the climb didn't seem as bad. Today, I tackled the last really awful hill that I have been avoiding, it is soooo steep. But I felt good and  I'm getting ready for a backpack trip, so I figured I would go for it. I kept my head up, looked towards the top of the hill, and it really wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.

Then it occurred to me, I have been going through the same thing in my life. For the past ten years, I have had my head down, learning all I could cram in to my head about clay. I didn't look up, just kept on and on working at this craft. Then one day I looked up and I wasn't even halfway there. Still so far to go, so much to learn, to accomplish. And then my head sort of wanted to explode. So now I am moving forward with my head up, looking around, seeing what else is out there, and the world does not exist only for clay, like I thought it did. There is some more really fun stuff to do out there, and I don't have to just focus on clay if I don't want to. I'm loving being back in the theater, really truly feel like that is where my heart is, I have been building props, so fun, and I have signed up for a jewelry workshop in November. I started knitting a scarf, I made some clay beads, my hands must stay busy, but they don't have to be stuck in the mud all the time. I have finally got my head around my clay funk and it's all good.


Tonight is the opening of Whipping Man. I hope if you are in the area you can come see this very powerful play. It is one of the best productions I have been involved with. I've been looking for a Haggadah and unable to find one for the Seder scene so yesterday I just sucked it up and made one. It was fun to make and I thought, damn, why didn't I just do this to begin with. It's much more enjoyable to make a prop, duh! It turned out pretty cool except I forgot the hebrew is read back to front, so it's backwards, but so what.... it looks good, ha! The actors worked it out, as good actors will.

Wesley is home for a few days working on a screenplay for several competitions she has been nominated for. When she lets me tell you about them, I will. This is huge for her, fingers crossed!
It's nice to have her home, fingers tapping away on the keyboard. And she will be back at the theater with me tonight. I love when she can go to a show with me. She spent many long hours at the theater when we lived in Charlotte, doing her homework in the green room or out in the audience. Many late nights helping me pack up props or paint them or glue them, or whatever I needed help with. Some nights Gerry would come get her and take her to the newspaper with him, which was just down the street. Is it any wonder she is in film school? She has a good background for it!

Hope you all have a beautiful fall weekend. I'll be a mom for a few days.......ahhhh!

10 comments:

Judi Tavill said...

I could have hooked you up with a Haggadah!!! I wish I knew! next time...(as though there will be one) give me a call!!!
I have tons o stuff... so always ask!!! It looks pretty good by the way!

Tracey Broome said...

Judi, I actually thought about you, haha! If only we lived closer..... Thanks for the offer though:-)

Laura Farrow said...

hell yeah, your handmade props are way more awesome than found things, and making stuff is well, just good for the mind... xo

oldgreymare said...

You are finding your way, and I take inspiration from it.
Another mama is happy here in lalal land as Ben came in to shoot a premier for LAST VEGAS. oh happy day!

Tracey Broome said...

Hey Laura, true that, it's just taking me a minute to get back into that mindset!
Suzan, YAY! for kids coming home, although I seem to spend a lot of time at the kitchen sink and the washing machine :) lala land is good!

Dennis Allen said...

I tend to keep my eye on the next hill not the one too far away.Back in my bicycling days, I learned that you don't just go out and ride 100 miles. You ride ten miles 10 times.

Dennis Allen said...

Almost forgot. Every hill has spots where the grade eases a bit. When you hit these don't power through them. Slow down and catch your breath before you climb the next pitch.

Tracey Broome said...

Dennis, that is so true! Every hill I walk up has a little flat spot I look forward to. With weight watchers they have you set a 5% and a 10% goal and then an ultimate goal. I have lost 5 pounds twice, and two more 5 pounds to go!

Lori Buff said...

That's a great way of thinking. Whenever I am walking through the woods I tend to look down a lot so I don't trip on a rock or root. That makes me feel like I'm missing the beauty of the woods so I scan the path ahead, make some mental notes about where to be more careful then I look around and enjoy the woods. I also try to make certain that I don't just look for hazards when I do look down, I also try to look for the beauty like the mushrooms and fallen leaves.
Congrats on making it up the hill.

Tracey Broome said...

Hey Lori, I know what you mean, I am a very slow trail walker, I have to stop and look up all the time so I don't miss the scenery. I'm also looking on the ground all the time for treasures! Gerry just zooms on ahead of me, and eventually stops to wait for me to catch up, haha :)