When the waves are round me breaking,
As I pace the deck alone,
And my eye in vain is seeking
Some green leaf to rest upon;
What would not I give to wander
Where my old companions dwell?
Absence makes the heart grow fonder,
Isle of Beauty, fare thee well!

Much like John Milton, alone is where I’ve been lately, at least with my thoughts.  With the holiday commotion now a distant memory, it’s time to get back to what many of us vow to accomplish in the months ahead.  Whether it is just one resolution, or many, for this new year, we also spend a great deal of time reflecting on the time that has passed. 

At least I do.

My last posting involved a high school reunion which will take place in just a few months.  A big one, at that.  Oddly enough, after sharing my thoughts, I had the pleasure of communicating with several classmates who I never did more than exchange smiles with years ago.  We’re learning about each other, our families and the roads our lives have travelled in the past (gulp) fifty years since graduation.  I sit and wonder if, without the social media highway, would many of us be enjoying these opportunities to reconnect?  Now, the idea of walking into our reunion venue later this year is becoming more exciting with each passing day.  And, this upcoming event provided me with a much-needed jolt of inspiration to write, something I haven’t been doing much of lately.

Call it The Blogger’s Flu. 

Every time I turn around, another of my blog-friends seems to have fallen victim to this same malady.  It happens to the best of us and, sadly, each year finds the loss of one more great writer in the blogosphere.   Chalk it up to life taking precedence.  Then, there are too many wrong turns which impact our collective creative muses.  As far as I’m concerned, the urge to sound-off about a particular subject (which I often do) hasn’t had flames shooting out of my fingers on their way to the keyboard in a very long time.  Just not feeling it, you know?

Give me time!

Inevitably, someone or something will light my fire and I’ll share my thoughts and feelings on that subject.  Trust me, there are a multitude of post-drafts waiting in the wings, collecting cobwebs, urging me to hit “Publish” but I’m not yet ready to set them free.  Some need fine tuning, others well…the less said the better so I might keep them to myself.  In the meantime, I’ll reflect a bit, back to a year that seemed to end as quickly as we welcomed its arrival.  Back to lost friendships, passing lives, political turmoil, the faint glimmer of economic recovery and unrealized dreams.  For now at least,  I’ll sit alone and think what it might be like to go back in time to wander through all that was once familiar, avoiding painful memories along the way. 

For now,  I share the thoughts of Anaïs Nin.  They fit me perfectly.

“I made no resolutions for the New Year. The habit of making plans, of criticizing, sanctioning and molding my life, is too much of a daily event for me.”