A Splash of Inspiration
Posted on January 14, 2014 under Storytelling with no comments yet
What does your early morning routine look like? Do you leap out of bed ready to embrace the day, from the moment your feet hit the floor? Or do you hit the snooze button a couple of times and beg for two more minutes of precious sleep? However you greet the morn, it is just about a dead certainty that you will pour some form of caffeine down your throat before heading for a hot shower.
I am an early riser and the toughest part of the day is swinging my legs over the side of the bed. One too many marathons have given me a friend for life: arthritis in my back. The first few moves are tentative until I get my feet onto the floor, but after that, I’m good to go.
These days, I’m at my computer before the birds are up, with a coffee in hand. And after writing a new story and checking e-mail it’s off to the shower.
For a mother of young children, having a shower may be the most blessed time of the day and quite likely the only private moment in a revolving 24 hour cycle. And that shower takes place at any time of the day or night … whenever the slim window of opportunity presents itself.
Most people who work outside the house start their day with a shower. This is not an optional activity. It is like priming the pump to get the well going. You draw the curtain, turn the knobs and enter your own little oasis of tranquility.
The water pulsates from the shower nozzle and immediately hits you on the head. It’s like a massage of the brain. The warmth washes over you as you begin to visualize the day ahead. There was a time when shampooing my hair was a project. Can you say “afro?”
You start with the mundane things. It is garbage day or I have a dental appointment. You run down the “to do” list in short order. But often, this is when your mind strays well beyond the present.
In January, it is common to ponder the year ahead and wonder what it might bring to you and your family. Do I have any big goals that I want to accomplish? What changes do I need to make in order to be healthy? What do I need to do to increase my happiness index?
Some of our very best ideas come from the shower because we can actually hear ourselves think. Other than the soothing sound of running water there is no extraneous noise to distract you.
After towelling off, the next step is usually the mirror. You have successfully wiped away the fog in your head and now it is time to do the same with the mirror. You have a perfectly good day in front of you. What are you going to do with it?
It’s time to transport those ideas from the shower room and kick them into gear.
Ready. Set. Go.
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