The wonderful invention of a Round-A-Bout has got me thinking about life. I have always thought of this ‘Round-A-Bout’ word with the ‘hyphens’ in the word. I found out it is not always written that way. I used the research tools in MS Word to get a definition of ‘Round-A-Bout’. I had to search for all three words.
A very detailed definition of the word ‘Round’, I picked the ones that I liked –
• curved rather than square or angular
• a session or instance of an event, usually in a series of similar or related events
• a game, or series of games, forming a stage in a competition
• a series of visits made on a regular basis to different places or people
• in a curve past the edge or corner of something
• free-standing and viewable from all sides, rather than being carved from a background
• Considered from a variety of different perspectives and as a whole
• To go from place to place in a regular pattern
The word ‘A’ was defined as -
• used before a noun to indicate that somebody or something has some of the same qualities as the person or thing mentioned
• Highest Grade ‘A’
• Used instead of the word ‘one’
The word ‘Bout’ was defined as –
• a temporary or short-lived attack of illness, usually a common and not very serious illness
• a short time spent doing something, often something considered distasteful
Further research showed that the word doesn’t have the ‘hyphens’. Then I did a search for Roundabout–
• proceeding in a way that is not direct or straightforward
• went by a roundabout route
To define Life I will use those definitions from Round-A-Bout and Roundabout.
• a session or instance of an event, usually in a series of similar or related events
• a game, or series of games, forming a stage in a competition
• a series of visits made on a regular basis to different places or people
• free-standing and viewable from all sides, rather than being carved from a background
• Considered from a variety of different perspectives and as a whole
• To go from place to place in a regular pattern
• used before a noun to indicate that somebody or something has some of the same qualities as the person or thing mentioned
• Used instead of the word ‘one’
• a short time spent doing something, often something considered distasteful
• proceeding in a way that is not direct or straightforward
• went by a roundabout route
This definition I find inspiring. I like to think that I am living my life that way.
Driving to one of the local roundabouts I think of how others I know call them the “Circles of Death”. Some seem to have difficulty with the paths to follow and the choices to be made. I think life is like this. I like this idea of making those choices to take a different path. It scares me and I have difficulty making the choice, but I know it is better to make the choice then to continue going around on the same path. I have that need to go off and try something new, make a ‘series of visits’, make use of ‘a short time spent doing something’, ponder ideas and ‘consider from a variety of different perspectives’, to ‘go by a roundabout route’. Sometimes the path taken is shaky. Sometimes wonderful things happen. Sometimes you drop a bread crumb to be able to find your way back. Sometimes you drop pebbles to make a path that you can follow again and again.
When you get into the round-a-bout you may see the path that you took before and avoid going down there again, or look with wanted longing to return to a path traveled, or marvel at what might be down that path. Nonetheless, you travel the round-a-bout looking for another path. Sometimes you need to take the path less traveled to discover. Everyone that takes the path will discover something different. It’s like going to a Quilt Fabric store with friends. We all took the same journey to the store, but once inside, we all see something different. Sometimes we need our friends to show us the many forks in the path that we can take.
I have tried to take those paths of interest. Some are easier than others. The path of ‘I want to speak a foreign language fluently’, I have traveled many times. I need to meet someone along the same path to help. I need someone else to have a conversation. My son is going to take Spanish next year in school. Maybe we can learn together. Which leads me to the connection of this blog and round-a-bouts, The path of ‘I want to make a quilt’ has changes course many times. Intimidate by the accuracy of some quilting methods, I have floundered. Things usually have come to me easily, but not quilting. For a long time, I was that instant gratification person. Because the task was easy, I want to see progress, good/expert results now. With quilting this left me un-happy with many project. Now an older and wiser person, I am valuing the slower process and am not afraid to start over, rip out a seam, undo the stitch. I am still on that path and have learned to accept the bumpy road and know that I see a smoother road ahead.
Recently I view a YouTube video of Ira Glass discussing your ‘Craft’,
found here - part of a series of videos. He basically said that there is an ideal where we would like to be and the reality of where we are in terms of skill/knowledge/experience etc. Between the two is a gap. We need to continue our ‘Craft’ and make mistakes, have successes, make blunders, have wonders, to close the gap of where we are and where we want to be. The process works with any ‘Craft’, he was taking about reporting, video/audio production. Learn from successes and mistakes to close the gap from where you are to where you want to be.
I am taking the path to ‘make a quilt top’. I have not ventured down the ‘quilt it myself’ path, and I am OK with that for now. So, I make one quilt top that works well, another not so well, but I learn from each. Each time I do my ‘craft’ I need to look at it as a learning process and not expect things to be perfect the first time. The next project will help me close that gap. I don’t think I ever want to be perfect. I am enjoying the process and really liking learning new ways, processes, etc. So I look forward to getting back to that round-a-bout of life and taking a new path, re-visiting old paths and exploring those scary path that I have avoided in the past.
