mulberryshoots

Have you ever felt like you were in a deep morass of things when one day, you wake up and say to yourself that what you really need is what’s called a “sea change?” I looked it up on Wiki and it gives this definition:

“Sea change (transformation), an idiom for broad transformation drawn from a phrase in Shakespeare’s The Tempest.”

Hmmmmmm. So, of course, the first thing I did was to go shopping! First to Nordstroms where I found a small Marc Jacob indigo blue and white crossbody bag that I loved but didn’t buy. Then, I went window shopping in the mall which was fairly empty, due to this being a weekend day with fabulous dry, cool enough, sunny weather. Everyone was outdoors and no one seemed to be shopping for a personal transformation.

Found a couple of shirts, one an updated version of a 70’s print shirt from India, which was actually MADE in India,(not China or Vietnam) but out of some lighter material than the usual heavy cotton. I guess even modern day hippies like me might appreciate this finer material. Then, I had lunch at Wasabi, the revolving sushi lunch place in the middle of the mall. I ordered mine separately from those on the conveyor belt and was pleasantly surprised by the reasonable bill.

I hardly ever go to a mall. Sometimes, my daughter and I go to Nordstroms after having lunch together. Usually, we find something that she likes at Anthropologie. I tried on two sweaters there with the salesgirl hovering over me as though I might put one of them into my Nordstroms bag and walk out. I know they’re just doing their job, but really? Walking by Sur la Table, I saw a special on colorful Le Creuset “skinny grills” that you can use on top of the stove but I bypassed buying one although I planned to grill Korean barbecue chicken thighs tonight for dinner. Fresh new corn from the farmstand to go with it and a small green salad.

So, back to shopping for a transformation. I actually thought about it a lot in the car driving back home. Sometimes, the privacy of being in a car by myself and driving on the highway helps to clear my head and odd ideas jump in there when you least expect it. I’ve been thinking that my attitude and perspective haven’t been so hot lately as witnessed by the last few posts (“meltdown” and “waiting for godot.”) So, what would I change about myself if I were out at sea?

First, I’d realize that I have a lot to be thankful for and that things are not as bad as they feel they are. Next, I’d admit that I’m pretty lucky AND that I’ve worked hard so am able to pursue options I might not have seriously thought about up to now. Blaming others never helps. Throw out the bottle of self-pity whenever its poison appears. Get more sleep. Eat less and stop thinking about things for awhile.

Ease up about cleaning the closets, putting the mulch on the garden and writing sections of the book. Just relax for awhile, I say to myself.

R-e-l-a-x?!!??

Now, THAT would be a sea change!