What’s a time you followed your gut and it turned out to be exactly right?

Intuiting is momentary. I miss it sometimes, and as a child and young adult, felt guilt, regret, shame,  More recently, I work on cultivating active discernment by sinking into that blurry, off-kilter nudging that moment sometimes inspires or thrusts me into.  Makes no difference whether it is work, play, or love related, I’m listening to what moment has to offer or requires me to disengage from. 

Although I try not to think of life in terms of shoulds, my body understands and naturally tightens up or presents some vivid night adventure in response. 

Communication is more about listening, in my mind.  The heart and gut know more than the brain.  Without discernment to sort it out, life’s mechanisms can create decision fatigue. I play some music, watch the sun set, journal, dance, meditate, and I can do this because I feel safe.  

Intuition has kept me teaching for 23 years, serving my community, developing skills and interests beyond school.  Intuition chooses my color pallet when I sit down to paint, the meal I share with friends, and hopefully, a positive outlook and forward thinking mindset.  I don’t know if I’m right or wrong, but for the moment, I am safe, can give love, and be loved.  And I have a sneaking suspicion–call it what you will–that the world can be a better place because of it.

What’s a piece of media (book, movie, song) that changed how you see the world?

Today, we met our grandson and his lovely girlfriend at one of our old haunts, Drunken Monkey, a hip, foodie coffee house with some Orlando’s first and oldest place with vegan options and alt-flour baked goods, as well as wonderful soups and paninis, tea, smoothies, etc.  Now there are so many more right in the heart of Colonialtown and the Milk District, but it never fails to delight, reminding me of Trastavere in Italy.  It’s near a Barnes and Noble, and I lived close here even as an adolescent so I’ve visited many times in my 49 years in this area.  Im a big supporter of locally owned shops, but I am an even bigger fan of books, in general, so we stopped in to take a peek. 

The magazine section had been one of my favorites because magazines are like mindless scrolling on Instagram–eye candy.  Rows and rows of printed glossy goodness to browse and maybe take home…

And journals and paper books of all kinds, cookbooks, teen fiction, myths, kids books, language books, and a huge wall dedicated to religion’s Big Three.  There were records, and games, and puzzles, and Legos…lots of Legos.

I used to take our kids here on Fridays to pick out a book, get a cookie from the café, pet the pets next door waiting adoption (even took a cat home).  I did spend more than I should have in the early 2010s, but not today.  I thought I never had seen a book I didn’t want.  Tolkien?  Yup, we have 5 different editions of The Hobbit.  Homer? Yup, I have at least 5 translations and a notebook from college with three of the books (chapters) in Greek.  All the classics, still calling me.  You want me. You NEED me.  Buy me. 

Even with a teacher discount, there wasn’t a book under $9.99, and most were $30.00.  The magazines were in that range, too.  It was kind of nostalgic, this experience.  Books and music shaped me as a reader, mother, teacher, adulting before the advent of computer and social media.  Kant called it Weltanschauung. 

Books are beautiful.  I think, as with music and song, why not write one’s own?

Who are you most inspired by?

I’m inspired by other educators and public school educational staff, our ukulele community, my dance teachers, and my cat and home garden.