make | Thinking Through My Lens

Like so many others, I gave up New Year’s resolutions years ago. I know myself well enough to know that good intentions will likely not change my behavior over the long haul. Of course I want to eat better, exercise more, and be a kinder, more thoughtful person. But resolutions have never gotten me there.

I few years back I became intrigued with the idea of a word guiding my year. Choosing that word can be challenging. I ponder a variety of ideas, trying hard not to pick a word just because others are choosing it. I often read an array of blog posts, paying close attention to the rationale guiding the word choice, at the same time thinking about my personal goals and intentions for the new calendar year.

Here are my past words:

2014: Play

2015: Explore

2016: Expand

2017: Possibility

2018: Stretch

I notice that I seldom select my word as the year turns. I seem to need time to mull it over–to come off the whirl of the holidays before deciding on my direction for the new year. And this year is no different. I’ve tried on some different words, considered revisiting some from previous years, but it wasn’t until today that I felt the pull of a word for this year.

I know myself well enough to know that I need a word that not only guides but also inspires, one that pushes me beyond what I would do without a muse word. When I look over the past 5 years of word selections, it was my first word: play, that moved my life forward. Play reminded me to step beyond my work responsibilities and take time out to enjoy life. It reminded me to dig in the sand, to laugh with my family, to try things I’d never done before.

So for 2019 I’m asking make to guide me. As I walked along the beach today, make kept finding a place in my mind. Make time for exploration and play. Make minutes count, appreciate all that comes my way. Be creative, make writing, make art, make a difference. Make healthy choices and make the most of possibilities that present themselves.

I’ll be making an effort to be present and enjoy all that comes my way.

egret on a railing

What One Little Word will guide you this year?

The word #object has come up a few times in the last week or so. First I heard about composing with things…and started thinking about how “things”…particularly photographs help me with my writing. And then Annelise Wunderlich at KQED offered a Do Now focused on selecting an ordinary object, experience, or material to represent or inspire you. (You can join in by posting yours on Twitter, Google+, Instagram, or Facebook using the #donowobject and #clmooc tags)

A number of ideas came to mind when I fhought about how I might objectify myself. Dandelions and other weeds come to mind…I love the way they thrive wherever they find themselves, rather than being dependent on others for ideal growth conditions.

But I think glass is the object I will pick. Geoff and I have been looking for beach glass on all of our beach walks over the last year. This glass on the beach is pretty rare–probably due to the ban on glass on the beach over the last decade. But we do find it–and that search for treasure on the shore has helped me to pay close attention the the interesting qualities of the glass.

Beach glass is not transparent. Unlike a window, it is not easy to look inside or through. Time and tumbling have created an opaque quality, no longer shiny and clear but instead the surface suggests a history hidden in the sanded surface.

My favorite pieces of beach glass are smooth to the touch and feel good in your hand. They are worn and rounded rather than sharp and angular. We often categorize the pieces of glass as we pick them up…some are young and sharp, juveniles in the glass world. But it’s the pieces worn smooth that are prizes in the glass game.

And beach glass plays well with others. It mingles with rocks and shells, sea creatures and seaweed. It hides in the sand, gets tossed in the tide, and reveals itself only when you take time to look.