I grew up listening to my Mama’s many mantras. One that always made me giggle was, “Even a blind squirrel finds a nut!”
As you move through life, you have a vision, a passion, something that compels you forward. Sometimes it’s easy; sometimes it’s hard. Sometimes things happen for what seems like the “wrong” reasons and things still work out. Other times everything is for the “right” reasons and things still blow up.
I moved from St. Petersburg, FL to Chicago, IL just as the temperatures started to drop. I had broken engagement and wanted to create “some space”…aka the length of the country!
I sublet a crappy apartment near the L-tracks. On the weekends, my calendar was sooo empty, to occupy myself, I rode the train, got off at random stops and walked myself back home… this was long before Google Maps!
Eventually, I answered an ad for a roommate in the Chicago Reader (think hardcopy FB/Craig’s List). The ad was: 2 roommates needed. The apartment was a giant 3-bedroom, massive living room, family room, kitchen, sunroom, rooftop terrace (ok, the roof terrace was not really a thing, we just used a ladder that was discretely removed when the landlord visited).
And most importantly, it’s where I met one of my life-long friends, Kate Flannery. I can’t imagine my life without her. She’s been an inspiration, a wise comfort, unconditional support and as luck would have it, she’s also a professional comedian, so loads of hysterical and healing laughter and pure joy!
Without suffering through an unfulfilling engagement, the desperateness of train-track apartment, and those lonely weekend scavenger hunts home, I would never have been open to living with complete strangers. I was definitely a blind squirrel, who found not only a nut… but a diamond!
It’s not easy to live your life true to your inner knowing. It was humbling to break my engagement. It was scary to move to a city I didn’t have a circle of support. It was exhausting to learn to trust my instincts again. From the outside, I knew I looked like a failure. At the same time, I knew what I was living wasn’t sustainable.
Take time to go within and listen, you are worth it. Your efforts will pay off. You too will go from “blind squirrel” to finding your soul’s nourishment!
Love and Light,
