I’ve always enjoyed challenging myself. I have sought out ways to challenge my body and mind. Mentally, the growth was to continue to fight when my body was breaking down and I could’ve just stopped. Like hiking or that silly kayak trip where my body screamed at me for days and my mind said let’s keep going. I’ve never really thought of other ways to challenge my brain. Obviously you can pull out a puzzle or something and engage it that way. I have tried to develop mental toughness for life. Whatever challenges come my way I want to be as prepared as I can be. All that work to push the boundaries of my thinking. Not once did I ever consider trying to change my perspective on how I could live. I’m the type of person who makes snap decisions, I recognize that. I mean I just sold my car on a whim, in the middle of winter, to ride my bike to work in 30° rain and snow. I think I’m trying to slow down the pace at which I live. Which might lengthen my decision making. That’s where my new mental challenge is. How do I appreciate the little nuggets of my experience just a little bit more. I’m actively thinking about this throughout the day now. I used to just think about this while I laid in bed at the end of the day. It’s come to the forefront of my thinking. Which makes it easy to act on. Stop and smell the roses, right?
Even in a mundane work day of little significance, I am finding that I can find things worthwhile to make note of. Connecting more with people at work, learning more about them, bouncing ideas off one another, talking about their dreams and goals. Despite the fact that in general, I am a pretty friendly guy, I wasn’t actively engaging with my coworkers. Until I decided I could get more out of life by just engaging deeper with everyone. Seems simple but it’s easier to put your head down and tune out the world, though obviously not as enriching.
I mean I even laughed when, on the second day of bike commuting, I came outside after work to find snow on my bike. I think a former James might’ve been a bit heartbroken at the sight of that.
How could I complain about anything I’m doing in life when I’ve been blessed with the family I have? The wife I have? I think I’m slowing down my world and just starting to appreciate just how good I have it. I’m not taking things for granted anymore. Oh how I wish that was true. I don’t think it’s actually possible to do that, but I sure am trying to realize how great it is going. The world is still very open to us and the potential that lays before us is immeasurable. We are the creators of our lives. How exciting is that?
We spent our Saturday in Moscow. This was a rare opportunity to see a sitar. I’ve never seen one in real life. Nor had Chey. It’s been on Cheyenne’s bucket list to play a sitar for over half a decade at this point. We saw that U of I was having a Nepalese Music Concert on Saturday night via a Facebook event. A sitar player was headlining the concert so we said let’s go. Who knows when we will even see a sitar again because they’re so rare. Might as well go see what happens. Well turns out that the concert we thought began at 5pm wasn’t slated to begin until 7:30, and we had plans for an art gallery auction later so we just kinda brushed the sitar idea away. But, In the super fine print of the concert details was a little footnote that said there was a workshop with the sitar player at 4:15. We threw our jackets on quickly and headed to the music hall. We found the hall and there was maybe 6 people sitting in the whole place. They had maybe 20 seats on the stage and the music director said we could go up and get a close view. There wasn’t even a conversation between Chey and I before we sat alone 3 feet from the performance platform. Two men with sitar cases and drums came in and urged anyone else to come on stage from the audience of about 20 or so other people. Everyone came onto the stage and for the next hour and a half we soaked in every word and note the two men produced. It was amazing to watch two men communicate with music in such a masterful way. The sitar is an insane instrument and is so powerful. I thought it would just be cool to see one but it moved me and literally had people on the stage in tears. It was an amazing opportunity to listen to stories from a very unique culture, hear the amazing life stories of two men who devote their lives to music. I thought the event was just going to be music but by the end I realized a sitar was so much more than that, it was an embodiment of both culture and spirituality. I think everyone on that stage could’ve sat there for the rest of the day listening to stories and the men speak with strings and drums.
I was hoping Chey would get an opportunity to touch the sitar or even play a string. But after hearing about the power and unique respect they have for music in the Nepalese and Indian culture I was nearly sure Chey wouldn’t be able to touch one. The sitar player himself wasn’t allowed to touch one until he had been learning fundamentals for years prior to playing one himself. The event ended and Chey, ever so bold, moved in on the guy and asked about the construction (it’s a pumpkin) and which strings where melodic, and if she could play a string. He said sure. It made both our days. It was truly an enriching experience. Chey and I talked about how special an opportunity it was to experience something like that. It was one of the coolest things I’ve done in a long time, all on a whim.
Also had to try out Colters Creek Winery cuz we saw it the last time we were in Moscow and liked the look.
Topped the night off at a wild art auction in downtown Moscow. We wore turtle necks to fit the crowd. It was the right call but we forgot our scarves and black framed glasses. I thought that was more of an architect stereotype but I guess it’s an art world thing as well. We bid 50$ on a blue spoon. We also bid 50$ on a cat painting. Unfortunately the cat bed that someone made was auctioned for like 500$ or something so a Chey couldn’t get our cats the bed they so deserve (it came with a matching nightstand as well)
Guess our cats will have to make do with using us as beds instead.
Stay livin
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