on being brave

 We opted for a quiet New Year's Eve at home this year. We visited family, then slipped home for Italian food, champagne, David's best-tracks-of-2011 Spotify list and Cluedo, cos that's just how badass we are these days. The quote of the night came from David just minutes after the clock struck midnight, 

'Is it my eyes or is it misty in here?'. 

 We sat there contemplating the state of his eyes vs the possibility of real, actual mist inside our living room before, slowing sucumbing to the early affects of smoke inhalation, we splutteringly realised that the wood stacked up around our wood burner was ON FIRE.  Not the wood inside our wood burner, the wood outside it, on the hearth.
  
 Thankfully, our reactions had not been diminished by the champagne and the drama was over in a matter of minutes. Windows open, smoke alarm screeching, fingers burnt, lesson learnt.

 But, I'm not gonna let that wobbly start to 2012 set the precedent for the rest of the year. Hell, no. 

 I thought about making some resolutions, putting together a list of things I'd like to accomplish this year but, you know what? I don't really want to. Last year's list became defunct as early as January 5th when I injured my back and ended up on the emergency list for spinal surgery. Learning to surf was no longer a priority (tho apparently surfing is the new golf and the beaches are heaving with middle class, middle aged people every weekend. So I'm over it already).

 I've got so many things I'd like to be better at, so many flaws I'd be better off without, so many plans, ambitions and desires whirling around my head I don't know where to start. And the thing is, at the end of the day, I like myself anyway, whether I get up at 7am to cook a delicious breakfast and meditate or haul my ass outta bed at 8 and run around the house like a mad woman with no clean knickers to put on.

 So I've decided that this year I just want to be brave. I want to put myself out there more. I want to push a little at the boundaries of my safety zone. Cos that's one thing I always wish I could do. Push myself to show others the stuff that I do, the stuff that I make, the stuff that I write. Instead of being shy about it all.

 And I'm not gonna stack dry wood up around my wood burner whilst it's blazing an inferno again.


 Wish me luck. And good luck to you too. Be Brave.