Greetings from the 'Spear'

July 5, 2009: My first trip to Cape Spear this year. Surprising, really, since I have spent so many hours here in the past - hours of sun, cloud, rain, freezing rain, and of course the never ending wind. Yet, as I walked to my usual perch, smelled the familiar scent of partridgeberry bushes, and heard the sound of the the ocean, I was welcomed back, and it was like I had never been away.

Life happens, we change: friends, lovers, homes, jobs...all change. Priorities shift, moods ebb and flow like the waves crashing against the rocks. But as I sit and look out over the ocean, I am met with the same rocks, the same waves, the same seabirds. The wind enveloping me in the comfortable coolness that can only be found by the Atlantic ocean. Today, just when I felt the need for the comfort of the familiar in my life full of changes, I found it. My little niche in nature.

I was grateful that it wasn't cold today. There have been times when the raging sea and fierce cold air were a perfect match for my mood. Those days when I needed to feel the power of the something bigger than whatever rage or black mood that enveloped me, this place did not disappoint.

Sometimes when we feel that we are at a crossroads in life, or just faced with what seems like insurmountable difficultites, we are often told to go to our happy place. I disagree. While I do not dispute the need for a happy place, we also need a place where we can be unhappy, afraid, angry or just plain sad. I like to call it my "Control-Alt-Delete place". Where after the emotions have run their course, I feel cleansed, rejuvinated and able to think more clearly about the decisions I have to make or the issues I have to face. My spot to reboot is Cape Spear - where all the feelings seem to get swept up in the sea, crashed against the waves and returned to me in another form, another perspective.

Maybe this is what this blog will be for me too - another spot to reboot my mind's computer - and maybe it will do the same for you...who knows? And like Cape Spear, where a fox just magically appears out of nowhere, or a whale saluts me with his tale, I may surprise you with something to make you smile. This will be a growing experience for me, and I hope a little bit of entertainment for you...

My wish for you today - find your own Control-Alt-Delete Spot - your very own, for those times when you just need to restart the mind's computer to take on whatever challenge you face even if it is trying to decide on what to feed the in-laws tomorrow night!