Lightning

Today hubby, Cosmo and I were walking down a block near our old apartment when we encountered a blast from the past: Lightning the Turtle. His owner brings him out to the neigborhood dog park a few times a year; more often, he can be sighted wandering around the base of his owner's front stoop. He is huge - probably about two feet long - and has the prettiest coloration on his shell: tinges of yellow and gold on dark brown and olive. I wonder what makes a person choose a turtle as a pet...

This week things were slow, work-wise, and I savored it - I went to Whole Foods one day in the middle of the afternoon, and picked out my favorite new treat: papaya with lime juice. I cooked fish for dinner, and spent time in the garden.

A few years ago, I put all my energy into a job that caused me anxiety and stress and made me feel bad about myself. I had no creative outlet, and no time or energy left for all the other things that mattered to me: friends, family, volunteering. I felt this huge disconnect between the real me and the me that I was presenting to the outside world. Worst of all, I felt stuck.

This week I had time to look around at how much my life has changed; I was happy with what I saw.

I wonder what makes a person choose a turtle as a pet...