Taking Stock

As much as I am loathe to say the words, it's pretty clear summer has given way to fall here in the foothills of southern Alberta. And just like those hardy pioneer forebears who settled here and put aside the bounty of the harvest for the upcoming winter, so I find myself preparing for leaner times ahead.

Well, maybe that's a bit of an overstretch. It's not like I have to fear death by freezing or starvation or the lonely, cold prairie nights spent alone with nothing but cold stars for company. But it is far more than a mere metaphor to think of winter as a time to brace for the inevitable transitions to come.

After the relative bounty of the summer, a time when cares and concerns of the bitter season were far from thought, I find it appropriate to make some small accounting of my time away from work and from the rigours and routines of daily life. Really, what have I learned? What have I accomplished?

I think the single most significant realization I take from the summer is that I rediscovered things I truly enjoy doing. Going back to radio has been a life-changing experience, in so many ways. Regardless of who might be listening in the ungodly hours of the morning, I love being able to produce and deliver a show I am truly proud of. I look forward all week long to those few short hours in the broadcast booth, where I alone am responsible for connecting, sharing on a most personal level. I gain unfathomed energy from the anticipation of and the reflection on my creation of something truly unique and personal.

I've also rekindled my love for reading. I savoured some truly classic novels over the summer and look forward to carving time out of my evenings for some ongoing literary reflection.  There will also be time for films and concerts this fall and winter too. And maybe after our young resident art history expert arrives and sets up shop, some gallery visits too!

All this is to say that I'm really glad for the time away. Work is work; it will always be there and will always be important in its own right. But life, I remember now, is so much more. I look forward to friends and friendships revisited in the weeks and months ahead. And life too, shared and cherished in new and soul-satisfying ways.