Bracing for the Storm

As a general rule I like to keep busy. I like to be occupied with... something. I don't like lengthy periods of inactivity. They drive me nuts. All I wind up doing is thinking about what it is that I could/should be doing instead of relaxing. That being said I do enjoy taking a break from my usual grind to spend a little time doing nothing. As much as it might bother me I know that it's also necessary to have physical and mental downtime. I did this last night for a couple of hours. I played some games and watched some DVDs that I need to return to a friend. It's been a rough couple of days and for some reason I'm seeing it getting worse before it gets better. Homelife issues, shows, work. Such is life though. So... I took a break. My way of bracing for the storm. You can see it coming and there's nothing you can do to stop it so you sit back and watch it roll in with the knowledge that you're going to get rained on at the very least. At worst, blown away.
There is a quote I always think of in these situations:

"There is something to be learned from a rainstorm. When meeting with a sudden shower, you try not to get wet and run quickly along the road. But doing such things as passing under the eaves of houses, you still get wet. When you are resolved from the beginning, you will not be perplexed, though you still get the same soaking. This understanding extends to everything".

I like this quote a lot and I apply it to any situation where something bad or very strenuous or taxing is inevitable. It helps me to focus on the end result and not get muddled up in the middle. So there is unpleasantness that I'm dealing with in my personal life, there is the grind of the day-job (which I'm happy to have at the moment), and there's a looming list of projects, shows, and new work that all need to be addressed. AND let us not forget that taxes are upon us. These things may weigh on my mind, but I'm happy to have the work. As for the homelife situations that loom I am resolved to get through them and so I won't dwell on them or let them take my focus away from the present.
With that in mind I've started a new piece to help me meditate on the upcoming wave of activity. Fittingly enough the source photo was taken during a rainstorm. People rushing around trying to stay dry. People hurrying from awning to awning or from one doorway to another. My friends and I walked down the middle of the sidewalk... getting soaked, but comfortable in the knowledge that there was a dry, warm place waiting for us at the end. In this case at the Tir na Nog Pub across from Penn Station. I've just laid down the first layer of paint, but I'm already excited about what's going on. I'm hoping to complete this one quickly. There are shows in the near future. I have much to do and people are counting on me.

And an extra special Thank You to my very good friends who have spent a LOT of helping me to work through this stuff recently.
I don't know where I'd be without you.


Cheers,

R