Hello Here-and-Wow Family,

Before we begin, my apologies for the break in scheduling.

Quite a bit occurred during that time; including an impromptu “vacation” in Chicago when flights to New York were cancelled for three days.

In the spirit of lemons/lemonade, I took the opportunity to go to The Art Institute of Chicago where, as you see above, I devoted myself to my own version of art appreciation.

Or what I thought was my own version…

On reflection, what I realized is that this particular way of interacting with art is in no way particular to me. As you see, below, both of my parents enjoyed these opportunities, too.

(Apologies for the grainy photos. They were taken in olden times when you put film in a camera and then had to take it to a store and wait one whole hour for it to be developed.)

Their penchant for interacting with art was something I had forgotten in the years since they left this particular incarnation. 

All of which got me thinking about how often we believe we are thinking/doing/being from a place of agency or choice when in fact we are running patterns of which we are unaware. 

And while this particular instance of pattern-running brought me a lot of joy—it was lovely to reconnect with my parents in this way—it reminded me of the importance of slowing down, turning our attention inward, checking in with ourselves and asking,

“Right now, is the way I am thinking or doing or being original—or a copy?” 

For more on the value of evaluating your thought patterns, take a look at, “Unsubscribe: A Cheap and Cheerful Way to Survive the Holidays”