2015 is a Year of Trying New Things
- At January 02, 2015
- By Jeannine Gailey
- In Blog
- 2
Hello and Happy 2015!
I woke up in 2015 and decided it was time for me to be more daring, more participatory. The last few years I feel like I’ve been sort of sick, tired, hibernating, waiting for a signal to go back out and get into life fully again. But I think the signal is maybe just feeling ready to try again. I’ve signed up to learn Tai Chi as part of my physical therapy for the neural lesion motor skill problems, I’m starting an internship in a new field (yes, at 41, I’m interning, thank you very much, don’t make fun!) I’m ready to go out and work and socialize and (dare I say it?) try to make this next book of poetry, my fourth and the closest to my heart, really make an impact, if I can. Step out of the comfort zone, seize the day, all those kinds of platitudes. Most mostly, try to engage in life as actively as possible.
So, with the background music of The Mountain Goats (melancholy yet addictive!) yesterday I sent out two poetry packets, a book query for a completely different kind of book than I’d ever imagined writing that combines my love of poetry with my background in technical and marketing writing, wrote and sent out two magazine queries, wrote a new poem, and practiced writing pitch letters (which I still do not feel confident about – this is part of what I want to learn how to do!) I even got on my little exercise bike and rode farther than I’d ever been able to ride in the last few years. Today, to make up for yesterday’s manic productivity, I spent two hours getting an eye exam (nothing major found, yay!) and then four more hours not able to focus my eyes or read because of those darned dilation drops. On the plus side, I’ll be getting a very snazzy pair of “progressive readers” which are, you know, a sign of my progression…into middle age. But you know what? I feel pretty happy about where I am, who I’m with and where I’m going these days. Maybe I’m being unreasonably optimistic, but I hope not.
So, in the spirit of daring and new years and everything, I wanted to let you know about two new things – a new poem “Introduction to Junk Science or, Everything You Learned About Science Was a Lie” in the second ever issue of Tahoma Review (which is very fun readings) and an upcoming art and poetry collaboration show with Sherman Alexia, Daemond Arrindell, Carol Milne, Maura Donegan, Lia Hall and Cedar Mannan in association with the METHOD art gallery in Pioneer Square. It’s January 29th at 6 PM at the Seattle Central Library with a reception at the METHOD gallery afterwards, and I’d love to see you there for such a unique event! I’ve always loved working with visual artists and kudos to Mary Coss of METHOD for putting us all together.
Lesley Wheeler
Go go go! I’d love to learn tai chi sometime. Are you going to reveal the nature of the internship? I’m curious what you’re up to.
Jeannine Gailey
Thanks! It turns out, tai chi is really hard! At least for me. I’m going “beginner” level, and it’s still pretty tough. For an exercise for old people, it’s kicking my ass.
Yes! All mysteries will be revealed! It’s connected to the book idea…