Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Pearls of Wisdom

Grandma Hazel Sorensen's pearls. A recent gift to me from my stepmother on my visit to Wisconsin.
They are lovely, a gift to Grandma from Grandpa, I don't know if they were for some particular occasion or not.
It seems an uncharacteristically extravagant gift for Grandpa who I always knew as frugal and suspicious of luxury. This side of the family has passed along a distrust of risk and a strong need for security, something which I'm both grateful for and resentful of.
I value the concept of not living beyond one's means, being a "responsible" adult as it were.
However that same coin has another side I often choose the safe path and talk myself out of the frivolous adventures life presents in the name of being sensible.
Honestly though, its just an excuse. Lets face it, I'm just afraid to leap without a net.
I wonder where I might go if I let go of that excuse?

3 comments:

Judy Sall Fiber Art said...

Interesting... I have almost always erred on the side of caution - something I was taught, and also learned from life experiences. However, I allowed myself to 'fly' a couple of times, travelling to places far away and enjoying new things... my 'risks' these days take the form of trying new creative techniques, comfortably anchored to my home place. I still think the reward needs to be comensurate to the risk, and most times it doesn't seem to be!

alsokaizen said...

Hi Judy
I agree about the reward vs risk factor. I doubt I will ever change some of my attitudes however I would like to expand my ability to take emotional risks, and the moments of flight are really wonderful when I let them happen!

Soren said...

i have been reading your blog and enjoying your photos... silently without commenting...
however today i noticed this post about your grandmother Sorenson from Wisconson. i am a Sorenson, my grandmother & grandfather Harry Sorenson are from Wisconson and moved south to florida after his service in WW2.
is Sorenson a very common name in that area? i know that we had a DR. Soren Sorenson who praticed medicine in Wisconson many many generations ago...
we could be relatives! please feel free to email me.
i LOVE your fabric works. very inspitational.
~Soren
sbuchanan@chicagoscenic.com