The Promise of Spring…

Officially we are in the season of Spring.

There is blossom on trees, new leaves and shoots on the roses and the weeds are starting to grow in my veggie garden — well everywhere in the garden.

To me, Spring conjures up visions of sunnier days, warmer  weather — well warmer than Winter at least.  Yet here we are in the second week of the season and we’ve had days of high winds, rain almost daily, hail at times and even snow in places that rarely get it and it’s been bloody cold!

So realistically I know that just because the calendar says it is officially a new season it doesn’t mean that everything changes overnight.  Oh well its summer next and on the first of December it will be warm and sunny and I can wear my sleeveless tops, sandals and lightweight pants and be careful not to get burnt from the hot sun.  Really?

A bit like when it’s my birthday and everything is going to work beautifully for the day — there will be no worries or concerns, the sun will shine and everyone will be nice to me. Not.

How often do you look forward to an event and think that all will be wonderful when that happens, or perhaps things will change because of it?

Life doesn’t seem to happen that way most of the time.  We don’t tend to factor in disappointments, but they happen anyway.  We may think that if ‘x’ happens, then I will feel ‘y’ and all will be well.  Reality has it often being quite the opposite.

Then again, how would life really be if we knew exactly what would happen?

I think it would be rather boring actually if I knew what was going to happen and when.  The concept of anticipation and excitement might fall a little bit flat, whereas now I don’t really know what is going to happen.

Not knowing gives a certain edge or thrill even when I consider how I’d like for things to be, yet understanding that they may not evolve that way.  They may even be better — who knows.

Would we pay for a ticket to the footy if we knew that our team was going to be thrashed or would we get married if we knew it was going to end in divorce?  I don’t think so.

If life was predictable then where is the fun?  How much enjoyment would there be?

No, I’d rather listen to the ‘experts’ who say that there is no way my team can beat that one, and be really happy if they do, or okay if they don’t.   Either way I will choose to enjoy the game and I may end up being thoroughly delighted when they win.

But oh gosh I’d love to see those ‘expert’ commentators proven wrong, so I’m hoping to feel rather smug on Saturday, or maybe I’ll just be resigned to wait until next year.

 

 

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Anticipation

Anticipation is a strange thing.  You can  anticipate something with dread or you can be anticipating with excitement.  Either way it is about our feelings regarding some event in the future.

I anticipated that when I reached retirement age I would be doing less, relaxing  writing and crocheting — generally sitting back and watching things happen around me whilst deciding wether or not I wanted to participate.

I don’t have a full-time job anymore as I’m a casual working one day a week — unless they need someone in a hurry and then I do an extra day here and there.  That’s okay.  But it’s something I really enjoy doing and I get to talk to lots of people and that makes it fun — not a chore.  Then there is my passion for cooking and saving time, so I have become a Thermomix consultant which can take as much or as little time as I choose.

Then I had a conversation with a former workmate (from my previous work-life) and she commented that now retirement is here,  carrying a diary is mandatory as there is so much happening.  I recall hearing my father-in-law saying that he didn’t know how he fitted everything in when he was working as he was so busy once he’d retired.

And yes, I find the same.  I have to have a diary and I need to check what’s happening before I commit to something new.

So that’s been a case of anticipating one thing, and reality being something totally different.  But in a good way.

Then there is the anticipation with dread — things like exams; job interviews; the credit card statement and so on.  How often have you dreaded something happening and when it is over and done you look back and think — “Now that wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be.”

This week I’ve been anticipating with excitement a course I’m about to do.  It’s called Empowered Speaker Workshop and will be over two days.  I came across it and it fitted perfectly with what I want to do regarding marketing my book.  So off I go tomorrow anticipating an awesome two days of fun and learning.   Something we are never too old to do.

We’ve just passed the seventeenth anniversary of Kelly’s death, and I used to approach these days with much dread.  They are a reminder of all we have lost, and in the past been very sad days.  Now I don’t think that way at all, I just look at the day as a way of marking the time that has gone and using the time to enjoy the cherished memories I have of her.

Of course I still dread getting on the scales to see what damage I’ve done celebrating her memory.

What are you anticipating now?