Sometimes getting stuck in life is about fishing through your thoughts until something bites your imagination. You throw your line out and wait…the boat drifts back and forth…sometimes it even spins in a circle as the water keeps lapping at the sides and the shore is just as far as ever…but if you’re patient…you might just catch Moby Dick!

I never really thought about it this way until this morning. I think I started coaxing the fish to the line a few days ago. I was practicing being a pro at crastinating again when I started wondering why I wasn’t doing what I know I love and need to do. I wondered what I would do with my life if I knew I was going to die by the next morning. It may seem a bit macabre but I was desperate to find any hint of a creative fish in my pond with no bate and a broken line.

Would I go see family? Would I visit a friend? Clean the house? Paint a picture? Make a scarf? The answer surprised me. The answer to all of the above was no. I took my dogs to the mountains…the wind was blowing the snow across the open meadows as the song of the trees whispered moans of ecstasy as the crisp air passed by the pine needles at 90 miles an hour. I was cold but the air was fresh, the taste of the chill on my lips and the pure joy I felt watching my dogs run freely through the snow and tall grass was more than enough to satisfy my last day.

I didn’t leave the mountain feeling like “I should have done this or I should have done that” or with any regret for how I spent my time. The car ride home was warm and quiet as the dogs slept happily dreaming of the day’s adventure…paws running silently twitching on the seat, ears perked at the sounds of passing cars and occasional wind gusts…pleasant…satisfied.

When I got home, I did some chores and started a drawing of a dream I had a few weeks ago. (I’ll be sure to post it when I’m finished.) I didn’t feel stuck anymore…at least for the day. When I went to bed, I realized I actually accomplished more that day by taking a “fishing”  trip than I would have if I’d stayed home stuck all day thinking about what I needed to do.