Toe-Tapping through Life -- Keeping Time with the Music

The Poinciana trees are in bloom. The "Snowbirds" and tourists miss these beauties.

There is a rhythm to life. It starts in the womb with the beating of two hearts: the mother’s and the infant's. The cadence continues even when the two separate. The constant heartbeat within provides a backdrop for the rest of life.

Some people are out of sync with this life drum. They don’t connect easily with other people. Their thoughts are sometimes scattered. Their internal clock and brain are always at odds with each other. Their relationships are few. They sometimes drive as if they were the only ones on the road. In much the same way, they crash and bump through life until someone or something stops them.

I’ve met people like this. My heart goes out to their aloofness as they try to fit into a society that hears a different drummer and walks to the tune of conformity. They walk a narrow line. Some grow into genius-hood. Others into insanity crashing down the walls that separate them from others as if to say: “Here I am. Look at me! See who I am.”  If they can’t win the game of life by ordinary means, they will do it in some other way.

(Those green buds will bring more red flowers. Exquisite!  Notice their fine, fern like leaves)

In the past few weeks, televised news has shown some of these “misfits” involved in killings and shootings. So many people are hurt by the few who simply don’t fit in. Within their confused minds they experience confusion, emptiness and pain. They go through life unnoticed by most of us until it is too late.

Why am I writing about this subject in an artist’s blog: because gifted people sometimes feel alone and apart. If they or their work are not getting noticed, they feel unneeded and unwanted. Failure is a word to be feared instead of a stepping stone for growth.

"Mother's Day Gift Roses" to brighten my life. (more below)

We all must fail. It is an inevitable part of life. But if we take that failure and examine it, turn it over, digest it and try to discover the hows and why’s we may gain some clarity. Avoiding mistakes the second time is easier with hindsight illuminating our choices.

There is no shame in failure, unless its cycle is repeated over and over again without changing attitudes or behavior. Life is a puzzle. Not all pieces fit the way we expect them to. Surprises and abnormalities are the “norm,” if there is such a thing as normal.

Don’t give up on yourself. Hang on with your fingernails, if you must. Grab a hold of someone else’s coattails if it keeps you going a little while longer. There is no shame in needing help. We all need a mentor, a friend, a counselor. Struggle makes us stronger even if it’s unpleasant. Hope gives us a reason. Faith keeps us anchored to something bigger than ourselves.

(The whole bouquet -- different light, different colors. forgive the bananas!)

It is only when we give up on these last three things: struggle, hope, and faith that our life begins to fray at the edges. Reach out before that happens! Reach out to help someone else. You may be their last best hope. They may be yours.

"Mother's Day Gift flowers -- Hydrangeas"