Life can be crazy sometimes.  You have your routines that you abide by every single day.  And they’re comfortable.  After all, you’ve been doing them for ages.  And sometimes opportunities present themselves, even if it’s in the form of time.  You seize them.  Truth be told, I’m not a carpe diem type of person.  I am a routine driven human being and honestly, it’s safe, and likely the reason I stick to it.  Coloring outside the lines stresses me out.  What happens if I color a blue where a red should have been?  What if I venture outside and don’t know if I’m supposed to take a right or a left?  What happens if I put myself out there and people point and laugh..or worse yet…do or say nothing?  Those are the things that keep me awake at night.  And probably the reason I’m where I am in certain aspects of life.

Last week I found myself at one of those stepping outside and questioning which way do I turn moments.  Even with a map, that first step can be daunting, especially when alone.  But I stepped outside the doors and I turned left and started walking.  In the frigid temps and the dreary skies, I walked miles.  And miles.  And I saw things I’d only wished of seeing.  And on those cold and bleak streets, I was alone and it felt nice.  To stand in front of these pieces of art and soak it all in. No words spoken.  Just art.  The Bean.  The Chicago skyline.  A Sunday on La Grande Jatte. A Self Portrait.  The Impressionists.  And it was warm in that the Art Institute was kind and cozy and you could get lost in the paintings.  Each one took me in and then quickly out of my own thoughts.  And for a few hours I forgot that I was scared of taking that first step.   I’m sure all of this is some giant metaphor shouting at me to listen closely.  I promise…this time I will.