1/25/11
The sky is a clean canvas surrounded by dry paintbrush-like trees. It's another winter day in a midwestern American town. Cars fly along the road going north and south with people who seem impervious to the day and the wonders it may hold.
Another red-tailed hawk is visible in a smaller tree along this busy thoroughfare. My thoughts wander back to a conversation at the gym where I spoke to a woman about The Tale of Peter Rabbit. The woman I spoke with could not remember the details, so I shared how Beatrix Potter had skillfully written about the adventures of bunny who disobeyed conventional wisdom and trod in the forbidden garden of Farmer McGregor to enjoy carrots and other desirable treats while his siblings obeyed their mother. In the end, Peter was put to bed with chamomile tea while his siblings received berries.
Was Peter like Adam and Eve, a defiant, headstrong character destined to destroy himself, or was he an independent soul, a risk taker who would go all out for an adrenalin-charged life on the edge? I liked to think the second case, as I began to liken my career to the life of Peter Rabbit.
Contemplating a career change that would take me from working outdoors or writing about nature to working indoors and dealing with people, I wondered what Peter would do. I imagined he would continue to push the envelope and be innovative, not compromising his adventure, but taking what he learned from the garden to other aspects of his life.
Would I be able to follow this daring fictitious role model onto the pages of my own best seller, inspiring others, and making the world a better place? It was time to get to work and find out..
No comments:
Post a Comment