Elemental Living

A couple of years ago I made a decision to live elementally. To choose one element (earth, fire, wind, water) and purposefully study, search, dive into and live for a period of time with that element in the forefront of my thoughts and decisions.

The first element to find me was wind. For this time I quit smoking. I played the trumpet instead and did a lot of deep breathing. I studied wind currents and memorized all the names of the types of clouds. You get the idea... Wind and air became important to me.
After 14 months, I knew it was time to change.

The next element for me to live alongside was water. My favorite! This started in February of this year. I love hot baths and a slow, long drink of water first thing each morning. I knew this year (or so) would be expanding. I joined the local Riverkeeper and became a closer being to the Bay. I started reading water quality reports to better understand what I was immersing my body in but I have to admit here that they put me to sleep and I never was able to grasp their meaning. I took a cruise. I set up rain barrels- requesting our community to allow them as well. And I wonder now, if I had know that this year of water would bring me to the Gulf of Mexico, would I have carried on?

I feel strongly that I was called here. Some person or some event is the stronger force behind my pulling up my life from distant shores and digging in here. I fully take responsibility for my actions, I am just adding this philosophy to the event. Perhaps it was the collective heart break of a community crying for their Gulf that I felt. The girl in me wanting to help. Please try to imagine here if our Chesapeake was threatened with an oil slick. Our nausea, our pain and the massive anxiety would be felt for distances unknown. So, I am here in response. To what, I will probably never know, but I truly, truly wish that when the event or person is met- I am nudged in a small way. I would love to be that in tune.