You Never Know

Whatever is going on today, you simply cannot predict what will be going on a year from now. Trite, of course, but also the profound message of my favorite wisdom book, the I Ching. This simple truth can be very reassuring -- or scary. To me it's an exciting promise. A year ago I would not have imagined I'd be teaching an adult writing class and enjoying it greatly. The dancing lady cartoon here is in honor of a piece written by a talented member of my Writing With the Whole Brain Class who described a belly dancing incident in the most vivid and delightful way. In the same class others wrote about insomnia, scavenging golf balls, the pleasures of casinos and five or six assorted subjects. It's delightful to see that people are becoming freer and more expressive which is the object of the class. I feel I am achieving my fairly modest goal of helping them shed learned strictures and write expressively.

I think of the I Ching's message too, in relation to a talk with my daughter who's work situation is currently very difficult. A year from now it definitely will be different; there's reason to think it will be much better. Of course we must all live through the uncertainty. A year ago I had decided to leave NYC and wasn't sure where I was going, what I might be doing. I was in one of those states of suspension, the catalytic decision had been made to move but all else was unknown. Certainly I had no idea I'd be doing most of the things I'm doing now. And being very much a loner, I could never have guessed that in a year I would know so many new people and enjoy their company and feel liked by them. The only certainty in the world is change, as the ancient Taoists who complied the I Ching told us having observed the immutable laws of nature which included always the vicissitudes of natural forces.