Well, sort of. Stick with me a minute, and I will explain.
As I’ve gotten older, I have come to value community and the strength that comes from being a part of one. I’ve talked to friends of mine who range in age from 40 – 70, and we all seem to have the same problem. As we’ve gotten older, and our lives have continued to change faster and faster, we find ourselves wondering what happened to our tribe. We all had clear ones in the past based on different stages in our lives, like college buds, work friends, couples friends, other parents. But now that some of those things are changing, many of us have a need to find a new tribe and to define a new path for ourselves. We need to find where we belong and who we are.
So I naturally went online to see what wisdom I could glean or to find other like-minded peeps. I found some really wonderful blogs and Insta accounts that I follow faithfully. But, at the end of the day, none quite scratched the itch. Most of those blogs focus on things that the bloggers are really good at: crocheting, gardening, cooking, yoga, homesteading, making cute little things out of trash. Me? I’m a bona fide wanna-be. I want to be good at painting, but even Bob Ross himself couldn’t pull that out of me. Crocheting? I do it, but I’m not winning any prizes for that either. Pinterest art? I try a lot of it thinking, “oh, that looks easy,” but I wrote the book on Pinterest fails. I’m an artist at heart with the talent of a rock.
But what I am good at is thinking, and I am willing to try things (not skydiving kind of stuff, more travel/arts and crafty/DIY/cooking stuff). And I love wine. A lot. So to summarize: I am good at thinking, trying stuff and drinking wine, often at the same time.
Like many of you, I’m also at a point in my life where I feel a little lost. I realized that I have spent my whole life being the responsible one, and playing my socially-defined roles as expected (daughter, mother, wife, sister, etc.). I wondered how much of who I am is of my choosing, or whether I have simply been shaped like a rock in a stream–no control just letting it happen to me. I decided it was time to embark on a journey toward more deliberate living. Instead of just acting out of habit, I want to spend a little time making sure I’m o.k. with who I am and what I do.
So this blog is the first step on that new adventure. It’s time to take a close look at me and the life around me, to put that thinking to better use, and to spend time meandering while I’m at it. And I’m hoping some of you, my new tribe, might like to join me.
All we need is a pair of really comfy shoes and a whole lot of natural curiosity. And the encouragement to take the first step.
Thus, the title, very lovingly extracted from Emerson:
Now, that’s the ticket.
This quote captures the sense of who I want to be looking forward: make the most of every day by embracing simple pleasures. Like just taking a walk.
So Old Shoes and Curiosity was born. And I hope there are some other like-minded folks out there. Do you like to travel, literally or metaphorically? Are you thinking through the journey you’re on? Are there more questions than answers most days? Is wine more of a thing you do than something you drink? LOL! If so, we might be part of the same tribe.
This will be a virtual walk. If you’re looking for the same, and if you’re curious, have a quirky sense of humor, can appreciate (or tolerate) a great deal of overthinking, appreciate honest attempts at things (and the expected Pinterest fails that come along with it), put on your old shoes and walk along.
