Food for Thought / Thought-full Food

Tonight I peeled an orange and there was a little bitty orange growing inside.  Two for the price of one.

I said to him, "Woah there, little guy, you're in over your head."

And then I realized that this is precisely the place I love to be in life.

In over my head. 

WAY in over my head.

What an opportunity!  

Anything can happen.
So much to learn. 

Can't eat, can't sleep, 

so excited about something new 

to explore.
to conquer.

Expect the unexpected.

Welcome the uninvited.
Cherish the novelty.
Soon it won't be the mystery red-brick path,
it'll be the way you always go to work.
Soon it won't be the silky smooth olive-colored Grand Central Station motif,
it'll just be the metro card at the bottom of your purse.

Have you noticed how 'new' quickly becomes 'old'?
Maybe you fight to keep some things feeling new.
Maybe you move on to find newer.
Some things get better with age.
But it's easy to be comfortable around old things,

around familiar things.
And that is dangerous.

Many of the most comfortable times in my life
have been the biggest let-downs,
have been the least inspired,
have been a downward spiral toward apathy.

I would venture to say that the most uncomfortable times of my life
have been the happiest,
most adventurous, most memorable
most growth-filled, most rewarding,
have forced me to look for help outside myself
to engage with others, to share with others
best investments of my time.

I was reminded this week that 

If you're not in over your head, consider diving in.

Funny how all this was inspired by a little orange.
He was food for thought, after all.

Going West

Eventually, Finnish summer came to an end.  

In late August I welcomed American friends to Helsinki.  

Caleigh, Garrett and I strolled the sunny, windy green streets of Helsinki and visited plenty of seaside cafes where we always picked patios with the best views of the archipelago.  Angry skies signaled the changing season.