You may be wondering where I went. More likely you aren’t (except those 92 people that visited my blog on 12/5—what was that about!?), but I will tell you anyway.

Well, remember how back in February when I was going to teach you how to find a job in a recession having just done it myself? I’m still going to do that…BUT the lesson I learned in May was: if your new job tells you that the summer can be a bit hectic—cancel all of your summer plans—you will be working non-stop. Do not attempt to put up an art show, run two triathlons, say goodbye to the awesome-est roommate of all time and move to a new place. That would be foolish. Clearly.

So that’s where I was all summer. As for the fall, well, you will just have to wait and see. A girl’s gotta have a little mystery!

Anyway, in the midst of traditional twenty-something life planning angst, I am constantly comforted and amused by this song from Avenue Q. So I thought I would share it with you. Good and bad—“everything in life is only for now.”

For Now, Avenue Q

“Why does everything have to be so hard?

Maybe you’ll never find your purpose.

Lots of people don’t.

But then- I don’t know why I’m even alive!

Well, who does, really?

Everyone’s a little bit unsatisfied.
Everyone goes ’round a little empty inside.
Take a breath,
Look around,
Swallow your pride,
For now…
For now…

Nothing lasts,
Life goes on,
Full of surprises.
You’ll be faced with problems of all shapes and sizes.
You’re going to have to make a few compromises…
For now…
For now…

But only for now! (For now)
Only for now! (For now)
Only for now! (For now)
Only for now!

For now we’re healthy.
For now we’re employed. [ironic chuckle]
For now we’re happy…
If not overjoyed.
And we’ll accept the things we cannot avoid, for now…
For now…
For now…
For now…

But only for now! (For now)
Only for now! (For now)
Only for now! (For now)
Only for now!

Only for now!
(For now there’s life!)
Only for now!
(For now there’s love!)
Only for now!
(For now there’s work!)
For now there’s happiness!
But only for now!
(For now discomfort!)
Only for now!
(For now there’s friendship!)
Only for now (For now!)
Only for now!

Only for now! (Sex!)
Is only for now! (Your hair!)
Is only for now! (George Bush!) [SEE, already not now]
Is only for now!

Don’t stress,
Relax,
Let life roll off your backs
Except for death and paying taxes,
Everything in life is only for now!

Each time you smile…
…Only for now
It’ll only last a while.
…Only for now

Life may be scary…
…Only for now
But it’s only temporary

Ba-dum ba-dum
Ba-dum ba-dum
Ba dum ba-dum
Ba-da da da da
ba-da da-da da da-da
Ba-dum ba-da, ba-dum ba-da
ohhhh-

Everything in life is only for now.”

However, I will be covering that in a later post. For now, I will speak on how we stay focused amidst the chaos. Here are some thoughts:
1. It’s all about attitude. My most recent fortune via fortune cookie read, “Life to you is a dashing and bold adventure.” I love that. If you are looking for the adventure in life, it isn’t just “fun” or “exciting,” but it is “dashing” and “bold.” Thus, the fact that I will likely be walking the hour to and from the National Mall next week to stand for hours in 20 or 30 degree weather is a dashing and bold adventure. Not because of the crowds or the cold or the distance, but because I get to stand there and witness history and participate in it.
2. You often find what you seek. Seek good things. If you are looking for distraction, a reason the world is sad and lonely and falling apart, or if you fear you will be overwhelmed by chaos, then you likely will be. Because you are looking for that. Why not look for something better? C. S. Lewis said:  “If you look for truth, you may find comfort in the end; if you look for comfort you will not get either comfort or truth only soft soap and wishful thinking to begin, and in the end, despair.“

There is a lot to say about the topic of comfort, and why we seek to always hide ourselves in our comfortable worlds instead of seeking out change. We begin this year in a place of uncertainty as a nation, economically, politically, environmentally and so on, but if we seek comfort through it, we will likely continue to find what we as a nation seem to have fallen into: overindulgence in spending, eating, and fighting.  Instead, why not seek change? Truth—and all the weight and meaning that comes with that word? And for me, most of all, beauty.

I have been trained to represent beautiful things. Now I hope to continue to focus my thoughts and writing this year on all beauty and truth.