SPT-All Because of a Blogger

Two years ago I was the recipient of Michelle’s Pink Christmas gift. It was a beautifully hand-covered and hand-painted recipe box with many of her favorite recipes; each recipe card was hand-stamped and laminated. I can’t help but be inspired by her creative projects, but I think I’m mostly motivated by the Creative Friday’s that she hosts for her friend, Jill. Michelle actually sets time aside each week with the sole purpose to be creative. I want to follow her example this Fall.

In truth, I could thank every blog I’ve ever read for sharing their creative genius with me. The photography, ideas, projects, opinions, problem-solving—incredibly creative posts dot the web. Simply stringing words together into a sentence requires creativity and so many bloggers inspire me with their sentences.

This morning while we were sitting in the New York airport, I began visiting with the woman in the seat beside me. She was terrified. She had only flown once before and that was several years ago. She was on her honeymoon and flying to see Yellowstone. I spoke encouraging words and then we boarded. After we landed I ran into her in the bathroom and she reported she’d taken some medicine and was doing much better. While we were sitting in the Detroit airport, a woman who had just finished visiting her granddaughter in Maine sat next to me. She said she’d had a marvelous time and was well rested, which she needed as she is the primary caregiver for her husband who has Alzeihemers. We had a short, lovely visit and as she toddled her way to the airplane, Calvin leaned over and whispered, “You are Abe’s and my worst nightmare to sit next to on a plane.” I promised him that I only visit with people who want visited with. He said, “How did you know that last woman wanted to visit.” I explained her body language had encouraged it and the free flow of her information confirmed it. He was not convinced that I am quasi-fluent in conversational body language.

We found our seats on the plane and as luck would have it, I had the middle seat. My least favorite. I begged Calvin to switch me spots. I whispered a reminder that I would feel a responsibility to visit if the person next to me wanted company and that four hours is a long time to converse. He just laughed, but would not budge. He reminded me that he had held middle-seat-duty on the flights out. So, I settled in the center seat. The woman next to me apologized for not being very friendly before I’d even buckled my belt. She said sh'ed had a difficult weekend and I correctly read her body language that said she needed a book to escape to rather than a new friend to rehash the last few days with.

Thirty minutes into the flight, Calvin, who had fallen asleep, snored. LOUD. Loud enough it woke him up. Loud enough the stewardess probably heard it. I leaned over, smiled and said, “You are my worst nightmare on a plane.”

So though he doesn’t have his very own blog spot, today’s honorable mention Self-Portrait-Tuesday goes to Calvin because if I’m patient enough I don’t even have to think of creative new sentences to say, I can just repeat his. Now that's creative inspiration.