Day 208: Lessons from a Grasshopper

A while back, when on a nature walk, I spotted a grasshopper. 

Wow, I haven't seen a grasshopper in a Long time!

Naturally, I wanted to get a close up photo of it (given my newly discovered photography skillz).

I didn't have a chance. I couldn't get close enough and the grasshopper, sensing my encroachment, hopped away.

A few days later I saw a group of them in some tall grasses I was passing by.

Ooh! I'll try to get my photo now!

Nope, same outcome as before.

Disappointed but undeterred, I maintained my determination to one day capture the beauty, details, patterns and textures of the grasshopper with a close up photo.

I didn't know when or how it would happen, but I fully believed that one day it would.

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This morning before work as I was making breakfast and getting ready for my day, something caught my eye.

The sight was so compelling I stopped what I was doing, grabbed my phone and scurried over to the window.

Something seemed VERY out of place.

What the heck?! There's a grasshopper on my 4th story window!!!

I was so excited! How was this even happening? A grasshopper randomly climbing on MY window FOUR stories above the ground?! 

I couldn't believe it. I was finally going to get my close up! Well, the grasshopper was going get IT's closeup.

And you'd better believe it was a photoshoot. I tried out ALL of the angles. Probably spent a solid 5 minutes - at least.

 

It is so interesting how the things that capture our attention and really spark an interest or desire seem to keep resurfacing.

Sometimes we miss them, too distracted or busy to catch the subtle appearance.

And other times the reappearance is too obvious to miss - like the grasshopper.

What we focus on expands.

This is why when something catches your eye - say someone's bright yellow shirt, for example - you then start seeing the same or similar things all over the place/way more frequently.

It's on your radar, now [whatever 'it' is], so it's much easier to pick up and notice later on. 

This is a great realization to have not just about nouns - people, places, or things - but about attitudes, perspectives and approaches as well.

What we focus on expands.

Knowing this, why not focus on the things that we want, are interested in, lift us up, make us feel good? Why not intentionally expand the positive attitudes, open-minded perspectives, and nonjudgmental approaches that would benefit us most?

That sounds a whole heck of a lot better than focusing on things that hold us back and break us down.

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In the spirit of accuracy, I must admit that all of the grasshoppers I saw on my walks and the one I had a photoshoot with this morning are actually Locusts. Not Grasshoppers.

I didn't know what a Locust was until I looked up the difference between a grasshopper and a locust after my sister asked which it was.

Locusts can fly. Grasshoppers can't.

Who knew? Clearly not me.

My research also left me with these fun facts [courtesy of AZ Animals] - enjoy!

Grasshoppers

There are many things you may not know about grasshoppers. Here are some examples:

• Grasshoppers have ears on their bellies
• Grasshoppers make music by stridulating
• Grasshoppers lived way before dinosaurs
• Grasshoppers are a good source of protein

Locusts

Locusts also have some interesting things about them:

• If food runs out, locusts turn cannibal
• Locusts have serrated jaws
• Locusts are waterproof and can repel poisons
• Eating locusts can reduce heart cancer

Day 207: Delayed Morals

When I was in middle school I wrote a story, The Grape Brothers, for my friend's little brother.

It was a story about  - wait for it - brothers, who are grapes! And their desire for a different life than the one their family said was destined for them. 

It doesn't have a happy ending, though there is a silver lining.
Quench your curiosity and read the full story here.

At the time 12 or 13 year old me was writing the story, I had no plan for where it was going or the overall message or moral I was trying to deliver. Like many of my creative pursuits I was flying by the seat of my pants and open to wherever things landed.

Now, twenty years later (holy cow!!!), I see that past me may have actually been writing for present me.

You know the story synopsis, up top - telling of the Grape Brothers' desire for a different life than what their family has in mind for them?
I had no idea that was a theme of the story until writing this post today.

It took twenty years -
20 years of learning
20 years of experiencing
20 years of living
- to fully grasp the message Tween Sarah had unknowingly penned so long ago.

We all, individually, get to decide what we want for ourselves and our lives.

As the saying goes, the only certainty in life is death. But we have a whole heck of a lot more say in what happens before that than we are led to believe.

Vince and Carlos didn't want to be turned into wine or a tasty treat - so they literally charted their own path until they reached their end.

Maybe this is something we would do well to be reminded of more often?

Day 206: I love Purple [cars]

On many walks through my neighborhood I have passed by this car.

I think it's quite unique in color. You might agree. 

It's so unique in color that you'd think it would have captured my eye and compelled me to share upon the very first viewing. But for some reason, this was not the case.

It's almost as if I've somehow been desensitized to purple colored cars . . . like this isn't the first one I've seen . . . 

Oh my gosh! This ISN'T the first Easter egg purple car I've seen!!

It only took me dozens and dozens and dozens of walks past to realize. 

Could this be the same one I saw five years, two months, and two days ago?!?

At the time, I couldn't be sure. 

The only thing I was completely certain of was my burning hope the owner had hair to match.

Day 205: Creepy Request

 

Had this request come from anyone other than my sister, I would have been totally creeped out. But since it did come from her, I was only moderately creeped out.

 And then after an awkward moment, it was hilarious...

Day 204: Harry Caray

In Chicago, a city of two major league baseball teams, the name Harry Caray is well known. 

As one who is not a fan of the sport, my introduction to the man was seeing the name on a restaurant. 

For some reason, the sketch logo really stuck with me . . .

I had no idea how much so until I attended an event put on by the Harris Theater in partnership with the National Museum of Mexican Art.

It was a showcase of various Mexican performers - covering the broad sounds of the culture, both traditional and modern.

What does this have to do with the baseball radio legend?

THIS: Harry Caray in female form, ready to go in her baseball pinstripes

Spitting image. 100% identical.

Or in the words of my former co-workers:
Coworker 1: "They are 100% the same."
Coworker 2: "No, they are 80% the same."

Regardless of the exact percentage, even from behind the likeness is uncanny.

Second to the joy gained from making the visual connection, was witnessing her failed attempts at getting the perfect seat. One that was free from voluminous hair blocking her line of vision, that is.

Apparently, legendary glasses do not guarantee legendary sight.

Day 203: Just another day in the office

Hello? 

You want me to do what?? Work the night shift for my remote job where I have to answer phone calls that can't be routed to my cell phone? How am I supposed to answer the calls, then?

Oh, you're going to MAIL me a phone to use? 

And the port is only found in some buildings, not all?

This doesn't sound like a very efficient or sustainable way to do business, but yeah, I guess I can make it work . . .

Day 202: Intermediate Levels

Though I have no idea where this will go - I had to jump at today's post number to talk about the Intermediate Levels - the 200s.

I feel like a class I took in college must have been a 202.
On first thought, I would have said it was the online Diversity and Stratification class (which happened to be my favorite course in college).

But, no, I was wrong. The 202 class I took was actually  . . . a theater class?!

THE 202 Costume Design I  - as was required for my major: Clothing, Textiles & Design. Never would I have remembered if I hadn't looked it up (you're welcome).

And what a great example of what the Intermediate Levels are like -
realizing that Costume Design 1 was not just a textiles & design class, but a theater class as well!

In the 200s you think you know what's what and how to do things, but you are continuously met with new and unexpected information.

In some moments this can be interesting, exciting, and fun. While in others it can be a bit intimidating, frustrating, or even scary.

"Maybe you don't really know as much as you thought you did," you may start to think.

"Maybe you're not cut out for this," you may start to despair.

Well, let me give you some reassurance.

You do know as much as you thought you did - you just don't know EVERYTHING.

You are cut out for this. The only 'maybe' about it is the question of if you want to continue or not.

The Intermediate Levels are where we start applying the new learnings, insights, and awareness we have gained back in the 101s. 

The Intermediate Levels are where we try for ourselves.

And the Intermediate Levels are where we make a choice - to stay where we're at or to rise to the unknown.