good air in

“How vain it is to sit down to write when you have not stood up to live.”

Henry David Throreau

The team at Write on Edge, the writing community I joined in 2011, sent out their New Years resolutions this week, and while they all sounded good, Nichole's really stood out for me: "My resolution is to walk away from the computer and find inspiration from life more. I plan to live by Thoreau’s quote ... ."

I to have been feeling like it's time to push my chair back, fling open the curtains, and go forth into the big wide world. Monday night -after my first bike ride of the year and finally getting some fresh air in my lungs - STG and I spent the evening planning our summer vacation ... and it's going to be a good one! I am absolutely buzzing with anticipation of the sunshine, the sea air, the hiking and biking and wine training and sight-seeing we have planned. 

I'm finding more and more lately I just want to step away from the electronic life and get out. Our trip is all about being out and about in the world, but I have 7 months before then to practice. And yet, even as I write this I have the TV on, my computer on my lap, and my iPhone sitting beside me. It's too much. It's a bad habit that creeps in further and further and makes me think I'm connecting with people when really I'm just hiding behind my computer screen, popping out as a persona instead of being a person. And instead of some times just being on my own. 

So, I'm scaling back. Facebook has lost its lustre for me. Twitter is following suit. I enjoy my blog, but find drafts are sitting in draft mode longer and longer. And the TV ... well, I'm very much leaning towards cancelling cable altogether, though I would miss the cooking shows.  

Miss Lady gave me a yoga pass for Christmas, so I'll be re-visiting that practice soon and am very much looking forward to it. It's time to stretch my wings again, move my body, reconnect my body and my brain - to stop surviving and hiding and get back to my very beautiful life. 

My mom sent me the lyrics to this song a few days ago, with the suggestion that I find the video. And so I did. It's a good one, timely, and oh so true. And everyday I feel a little more alive again.

Sara Groves \ Less Like Scars

It's been a hard year 

But I'm climbing out of the rubble 

These lessons are hard 

Healing changes are subtle 

But every day it's

Less like tearing, more like building 

Less like captive, more like willing 

Less like breakdown, more like surrender 

Less like haunting, more like remember

And I feel you here 

And you're picking up the pieces 

Forever faithful 

It seemed out of my hands, a bad situation 

But you are able 

And in your hands the pain and hurt 

Look less like scars and more like 

Character

Less like a prison, more like my room 

It's less like a casket, more like a womb 

Less like dying, more like transcending 

Less like fear, less like an ending

And I feel you here 

And you're picking up the pieces 

Forever faithful 

It seemed out of my hands, a bad situation 

But you are able 

And in your hands the pain and hurt 

Look less like scars

Just a little while ago 

I couldn't feel the power or the hope 

I couldn't cope, I couldn't feel a thing 

Just a little while back 

I was desperate, broken, laid out, hoping 

You would come

And I need you 

And I want you here 

And I feel you

And I know you're here 

And you're picking up the pieces 

Forever faithful 

It seemed out of my hands, a bad, bad situation 

But you are able

And in your hands the pain and hurt 

Look less like scars 

And more like 

Character