Adventure

Write, Now

/ Kizzi / Leave a comment

I have so many writings in progress, it’s getting a bit ridiculous. It’s not that I don’t want to finish these projects (I do!), it’s just that it feels like I have all the time in the world.

What’s the rush? Now isn’t the perfect time. I’ll have peace and quiet tomorrow.

I can get to that later….right?

Recently, the theme of living in the moment has been hitting me over the head, both in the books I’ve read and in real life.

When I worked at the circus, it was easy to take things for granted. I saw elephants everyday. I could get up close with a tiger almost anytime I wanted. Cuddling with camels? Absolutely! Snakes, poodles, cockatoos, horses and one fickle donkey…so many animals to love and so little all the time I needed.

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But then I left the circus.

No more crazy animal cuddles.

But, wait! There was always time to visit. I could go back anytime I wanted. My friends would be there. The animals would be there. It would be just like old times, but better! No work and all play….right?

Sure, unless the animals are taken away.

As many now know, the elephants will be retired from the show much earlier than expected.

They will live out their lives well cared for and loved, but when I visited Cincinnati last week, that was likely the last time I will see those specific elephants and possibly the last time I get that close to an elephant ever again.

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Me and Asia

The abrupt departure of elephants from my life, along with all my favorite circus people, got me to thinking about what I love most.

Living in the moment, being thankful for today and making the most of it, these aren’t new concepts, but sometimes it takes something big (like elephant big) to remind us of the uncertainty of life.

Someone dies or moves. New job or no job. New births, new pets, new friends.

Tragedies and triumphs, these moments are needed to remind us, nothing is forever on this earth.

So while I’m waiting for the perfect moment to start (or finish) a story, life is moving on all around me. There will never be a “perfect” time to do what I want to do. I am not guaranteed a tomorrow, let alone a perfect tomorrow where I have copious amounts of time for writing, visiting friends, starting new projects, etc.

I’m so thankful for the many wonderful memories I have from the circus and all the time I got to spend with the elephants.

I’m also thankful for the reminder that right now, this moment, is all I have.

So I need to write, now.

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All those elephant feels 🙂

The Adventure Begins

/ Kizzi / 3 Comments

A few years ago I felt discontent with my life.

As a child and teen, I had imagined myself going on great adventures, saving the world, finding my soul mate, that sort of thing. Instead I found myself still in school, working at a job I only sort of liked and not a soul mate in sight.

Don’t get me wrong, I had many wonderful things in my life at this time. I had family and friends who cared about me. I had a dog and a house with a backyard. I had a garden (until the deer ate everything). I was active in sports like Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and weightlifting. I had a room for all my craft projects. I had a large collection of books and a little time to write.

So what was the problem?

I was restless. I wanted something bigger, something adventurous and daring and completely outside the box. I didn’t know exactly what I wanted, but I said a prayer anyway.

I asked for an adventure.

Just like that.

But then after I prayed for adventure, I said another prayer. I prayed for peace. I prayed to be content.

I decided I would be content in my life and live it to the fullest just as it was. I would put my best self forward in everything I did and see where it led. I would make my own adventure right where I was, or so I thought. But God has a funny way of answering prayers and right after I decided to be content with what I had….my prayer for adventure was answered.

The answer to my prayer came the next day, in the form of an email.

An email! God doesn’t answer prayers in emails!

But this wasn’t just any email, it was an email from the circus! I had applied for a job months before and finally received a response. They wanted to interview me!

But I had decided to be content with my life! I couldn’t just change my mind and leave everything I knew!

You’re probably wanting to slap me about now. I just got an email from the circus after praying for an adventure and I was going to turn it down?

Nope, I decided to go for it. It wasn’t an easy decision but if an email from the circus isn’t a clear invitation for an adventure then I don’t know what is.

So I got my adventure and I traveled with the circus for almost two years.

Then I got to a point where it was time for a new adventure. It was time to pursue old hobbies and passions. It was time to go home.

And so in this long rambling post about dreams and prayers and adventures, “Three Show Saturday” was born.

Why “Three Show Saturday”? Well, in the circus we had three shows every single Saturday pretty much without fail.

A three show day is hectic and fun, exhausting and energizing. It is full of work and friends, laughter and tears. There is a sense of accomplishment at the end of a three show day, and so, in tribute to my circus days, a new adventure begins here, with you my dear readers, in the hopes that all our days may be circus days.