Cloudy with a chance of happiness

"Tell me, what is it you plan to do

with your one wild and precious life?"
— Mary Oliver   I've been traveling to Chicago every year for eight years for business and this was the first year, really, that I experienced why it is known as the "Windy City". Rain and just disagreeable weather made walking about miserable. What is it about rain and wind that makes one think? Perhaps it is the survival instinct or maybe it is just that there is nothing to pull the focus from where one is. So I began to think, walking and talking to myself in between meetings and dinners with business associates. The last few years have been rough business wise but on the other side of the coin I have been blessed in ways that are not tangible. I haven't been able to be here as much as I would like because of personal and professional responsibilities. During this time, I have come to realize that I cannot make everyone happy nor fix what is broken or please everyone. It was a long winter and a walk in in the windy city confirmed that I must stay the course with new responsibilities that will make it difficult to be here on a daily basis. That being said, I think the circumstances will force me to value this place as a sanctuary. This place is not about work, but about creativity and moving towards the life I have always dreamed of. So I ask your patience and understanding if I do not always participate in this amazing conversation, knowing all the while that I am stealing moments to read your work and aspire to your greatness.