"....true life is lived when tiny changes occur...." --Leo Tolstoy

 

At first glance, it's hard to figure out what this is, but it's a staircase. In Paris, to be specific. Even more specifically, the one where we lived.

 In the US, we count ground level as floor #1. Much of the rest of the world says no, the ground is Floor Zero. This makes what we call the 2nd floor is the 1st floor there. In this apartment, they advertised a 3rd floor walkup. Actually the 4th floor to us.

 No elevator. Lots of luggage (too much, so lesson learned) but we knew we'd be gone at least a year in everything from Christmas in England to spring in the Caribbean.

 The point is we had to get used to this long hike, usually several times a day for various reasons. We did. After a few days, we learned to pace ourselves so as to not be winded by the time we were done Everesting the staircase. In other words, we got used to a small change and adjusted.

 Such is what I'm facing now. Not so much the reality but how I deal with it come this Friday when I get released back into to wild. I can't expect the world to change anymore that I could change that staircase or the daily realities of where I'll be living. The change(s) will have to come from me -- a somewhat iffy source entirely too prone to distraction.

 The idea is to focus on a few new activities I can control, fitted around things that have to be done and/or dealt with on a daily basis. Creating my own small bits of paradise in the midst of chaos. I'm sure at times this will mean my elbows will seem too sharp and quick to come up, given the fact I currently have no personal space. Excuse me while I create one. As mentioned in a previous post, there are times you have to insist on being your own best advocate.

 Hopefully things will quickly become more routine, like our dealing with that staircase. That old "be the change" thing Ghandi talked about, right? 

I dunno about that. Just gonna show up and do the best I can.

 "...phases and stages, circles and cycles. Things that we've all seen before. Lemme tell you some more..." -- Willie Nelson