What If

Get ready for some navel contemplating.

I was tagged by Andie over at It's a Crafty Sweet Life. She is a talented needlework artist, a kindred spirit and I am jealous that her blog is prettier than mine - which I am working to quickly rectify in my quest to become empress of blogland. Thank you Andie - you will never know how timely this tag has been.

Anyway this meme is all about What If's. It has been hard for me to write it earlier as I was downsized in the last month from my fulltime job of almost 16 years. I have recently been overwhelmed by what ifs. I had never expected to be there that long and can't help to think what if. Not that I regret it - It afforded me my dream of living in Europe and travelling all over the world. I had fabulous friends and adventures along the way. But sometimes I wonder where did 16 years go?

If you believe in the Law of Attraction as my husband does and I try to, I may have secretly willed myself free to pursue my life's dream to be my own boss and have a successful boutique. Success to me is to manage to eak out a decent living, keeping my customers happy and inspired and not compromise my individuality or creative spirit.

So on with the what if's:

-What if I could meet someone in the art world to chat with: I am going to stretch this one folks - it would be Mademoiselle Chanel. I would love to get down to the nitty gritty of her life story and find out what she was really all about. She was a famous fibber. (I love art and live with an artist and they are too deep for simple chatting.)

-What if I could have one wish granted for the benefit of all mankind: Freedom. Not worrying what others think of us so that we can each be true to ourselves. (Watch the french movie Angela from Luc Besson - it really explains it better than I can). Freedom from oppression from others and ourselves.

-What if I could travel anywhere in the world, where would I choose. The list is as long as the universe. Granted I have seen lots but it just the tip of the iceberg. But my newest fascination is Angkor. I came across it on the internet, know hardly anything about it but it looks amazing.

-What if I could make over three areas of my body. My mind - see freedom above... My double chin which I had even when I was 15, 5'8" and 115 pounds. My midsection, I'll save you the details. (I told you there was navel contemplating going on here.)

-What if I could become an animal for 24 hours. I don't really know but I am going to say a butterfly. They have awesome wardrobes.

-What if I could bring someone back to life for 24 hours. My father. He was a great guy and I didn't really know him. He was always there for me financially and emotionally and died when I was about 34.

I realised about five minutes after he died that we never talked about the important things: what was it like for him to be an orphan at the age of nine living in the gardener's shack behind his wealthy aunt's house with no running water and only table scraps. Why did they treat him like that?

Why he chose to imigrate to the US at the age of 16 from Cuba with not a dime to his name and never look back?

What was it like for him in the military during WWII barely speaking English? What did he see in combat?

What it was like for him to have to give up his dream of being a doctor and drop out of medical school because he could not afford it and settled on being an accountant.

What drove him to be the first person to graduate cum laude from University of Miami in only 18 months by cheating the system and going to both day and night school.

Why after being a life long bachelor did he fall in love with my mother at first sight and proposed to her that very night.

So now I tag Suzi Finer, Decorno and Wander. Let's hear - what are your what ifs?

Because of all lifes' what if's I leave you with the poem that I have been thinking about alot lately. Some say it's a commentary on individualism others say that Robert Frost had an indecisive walking partner. I bank on individualism. It's always been my motto but now I am free to celebrate it!

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth.

Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim,

Because it was grassy and wanted wear;

Though as for that the passing there

Had worn them really about the same.

And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I kept the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way,

I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood,

and I--I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.