“Spontaneity is the quality of being able to do something just because you feel like it at the moment, of trusting your instincts, of taking yourself by surprise and snatching from the clutches of your well-organized routine, a bit of unscheduled plea”
Something that has definitely become lost in my life lately is the trait of being spontaneous. I remember that I had it once.... I really did! It just seems that with so much going on in the lives of the girls and I, that if something isn't planned out in advance, it isn't likely to happen or will be forgotten about. As a result, I really have become a slave to my schedule and calendar. One of my many resolutions this year was to try to regain some of that spontaneity and do things just because at the spur of the moment, well... I felt like it. Our trip to the Thumb earlier this month was a good beginning, but this past weekend, I took a big step towards regaining a part of Mark that has been lost.
I woke Saturday morning feeling a craving for canoeing, geocaching, and pasties. The only place that I knew to get all three (other than the UP), was Grayling. Well, with the girls spending the weekend with their mom, and knowing that it wouldn't long to get ready, and after oh... about 5 minutes of deliberation, I found myself in the car heading north on US-23. Four hours of driving/traffic later, the paddle entered the water, and within minutes of paddling down the AuSable, I already was wondering why I haven't been doing this more often.
Two hours of floating down the river, watching dragonflies, and letting a lot of life's issues wash away downstream, gives one a lot of time to think. (Okay, as does the 7+ hours of driving there and back home) But during that time, I came to the realization that there STILL is a flicker of spontaneity alive in me, but I have simply allowed too much of normal day to day life to nearly snuff it out. Oh, and if I am honest with myself, I will also admit that there is some hesitation to do things without the girls for fear that they will miss out on a grand adventure. The past couple of weekends helped me realize that I can set off on an adventure on a whim, and have a great time, and if it is indeed one of those grand adventures that the girls shouldn't miss... well, I will just have to do it all over again with them.
I am not gonna stop putting things on the calendar, and my iPhone will still sync with Outlook at home and at work, but I think that I am gonna look at "free time" a little differently now and allow myself.... well.... to snatch from the clutches of a well-organized routine, a bit of unscheduled plea.
Anyone wanna go canoeing?