Choices - Good, Bad or Inconsequential, We All Make Them Daily

I'm slowly getting motivated today. Thoughts of friends and relations long gone have been in my thoughts this morning and I allowed myself the time to journey down the roads of memory for a while. It's not a bad thing. I'm not in a great rush today, and those who have passed before me deserve their moments of memory as much as those with whom I share my current days. 

This is a photo taken in 2001 of my Auntie Sadie (l) 
and my Unci, Zona Fills the Pipe (r) on the occasion 
of my nephew's graduation. Two absolutely beautiful 
women whom I miss greatly, yet I'm SO grateful to 
have been able to share their lives for several years. 

Memories. They can plague some people to the point where the memories are the only reality they know, and their daily lives pass in a blur of ignorance and inattention. I don't want to live my days like that - I suspect most/all of you would feel the same. Yet, memories have a way of crashing down upon us now and again, to remind us of what and who shaped us and the roads upon which we walked. 

This is my hobby horse which I made for a contest centering 
around whimsy. He stands in my glass shelving at home now, 
and I still dearly love him. I built him from scratch - plywood 
and filling under a lovely fabric I bought in San Francisco. 
The only thing that didn't work out was the signage which 
should have been etched copper, but my etching didn't work 
out well for it, so I had to print it instead. He's big, and he's 
proud and he's delightful. He didn't win a prize, but did 
win "People's Choice" for the exhibition. 

There have certainly been roads I've walked where I should have turned around within three steps to retrace my steps to the crossroads and choose a different path. But life usually doesn't allow for "make overs". Once the path and choice has been made, it is set and must be followed in a single direction, until another crossroads has been placed in the road and another choice must be made. 

Every day we are confronted with choices, and those 
choices, once made, can never be undone and will 
ripple throughout the rest of our lives. Most choices 
are rather inconsequential, but not all. Choose carefully. 

We all make choices every day - multiple ones, mostly silly and inconsequential. "What should I have for breakfast?" "I wonder if I should call X today, or maybe I'll put that off until tomorrow". But there are those choices that are life-altering, some with a bit of foreknowledge - "Yes, I'll marry you", "I'm  pregnant", etc would be one way the road could go. "Sure, I'll go to the show with you", followed by a car accident and months of recovery could also be a possibility. The future is a clouded glass for almost all of us, and even for those who can see a bit farther, it's not far ahead and is patchy, at best. 

Every choice makes a ripple in your pond of life. Choose 
carefully, but don't overthink things either. Even overthinking 
is a choice, and not always a wise one. 

Human beings are entities of choice and decisions. The smallest stone tossed into a calm water will cause ripples. So today, take care of which stones you throw into the water and what choices you make. Your choice of vegetable probably won't affect the world's order, but it only takes one insect flying around the wrong person to start a war. Today, be kind, speak softly, and walk with beauty. Slava Ukraini.