There is no such thing as getting back to normal

Whether I'm dealing with stuff that is tangible or intangible, one thing is always true: nothing stays the same. Everything is in a constant state of change, whether we can see it or not.

I read some article about human physiology that said that our hip bones keep growing throughout life. They never stop. (Cue for Jane and Diva to throw up their hands in dramatic exasperation simultaneously.)

Your Jane is fond of packing for a vacation (who isn't?) and will often set out the things she'll be wearing for her to admire weeks beforehand, so that when she's rushing around getting ready for work she'll see, for instance, a sarong, and feel that little bit of excitement inside that precedes a new adventure. But when I get home, it's into the laundry bin with the clothes; if they are clean, they get put away. The suitcase goes back to its place in the closet, and it's back to business. Before I go to sleep, the day of my return. I like to be reminded that I'm going somewhere, but not that I've been somewhere (because the latter inevitably reminds me that my fun break from reality is over).

But coming back from being away, fixing something, changing something, painting something, whatever it is... whether you hope to hold something the same (eyes, please don't wrinkle!) or keep the things around you familiar, this is something that isn't really possible.

I remind myself of this when I say to myself that things need to get back to normal. There is no normal, and there is no getting back to anything. We are flowing down the river of life, and nothing is as it was before. Every single minute.

Thanks for reading, amigas, and have a great week.

Yours,
Jane Q. Phoenix

The Earthquake Dream

Hi all.

Had a crazy dream. I was inside a girls school in Italy or Greece (somewhere beautiful, foreign, and earthquake-prone) and while I was inside the school, there was a massive earthquake- so much so that the dust outside was so deep, it was as tall as the door! There was damage inside, although not too much, and along comes my best friend.

This isn't a best friend I've ever known in my waking life, but one whose appearance in this dream made me feel quite calm- like everything was under control even though the world outside was literally falling apart.

She said to me, "Don't worry. I know a way out of here. Follow me."

And so I went, following her through rooms of this school, to a window above a door. She opened it up and we both climbed through to the daylight.

People were glad to see us (not over the moon, but then again, we weren't all that worried when we were essentially buried underground). They said, "It's a shame the school was buried. It had such a great library and we can't use it anymore." But overall they weren't concerned.

I think this is because we all knew that we had everything we needed inside ourselves: our wisdom, our knowledge, and so on.

What do you think? Any interpretations for me?

-Jane

The list

Funny what shows up in real life after you make a list. I wrote:
Takes off his shoes when he's inside the house

The new dude in my life totally does this. So did my first love. Their birthdays are 1 day apart. Interesting similarities.

My friend S asked me the other week, "Why do the guys you date always cook for you?" and I had to laugh. This may be a requirement rather than a request. It's hell being a slave to your own stomach! And it's funny what that will bring in to your life.

Anyway, amigas and amigos, I just wanted to give you an update.

-Your Jane