Choices

Everyday in life we make choices. Little choices, big choices, lots and lots of choices. Our whole life is determined by the choices we make. Sometimes we don't know if we made the right choice until later but we have to trust that we make the best choice we can given the information we have at the time.

I was in Glasgow for an appointment today and, having allowed plenty time for Commonwealth Games traffic, I arrived half an hour early so I decided to stroll up the hill from where I was and take a moment up at the art school. Now you know I've got a substantial history with that building, it's responsible for a few things in my life so it was inevitable really that I stood crying in the middle of Scott Street as I took in the destruction of that glorious end of the Mack. The finial above the director's office has always been my favourite part of the exterior because of the beautiful coloured glass balls so I was glad to see it was unscathed, but to look up through the studio windows, where my parents had painted, and see sky was quite something. So I wept, I chose to cry and let it all out, and then, as I rummaged in my pocket for hankies, I looked to the left at the new Reid building. Now the building itself is not to my taste although I imagine the light and space inside it is fabulous but what caught my eye was Michael Stumpf's sculpture NOW SING.

I had a choice. I could look to the right and dwell on the Mack, all that was, all that's been lost and everything that happened in the past, OR I could look to the left, focus on those words and let my heart sing.

I had realised yesterday that I'm not listening to music so much anymore, and when I developed asthma last winter I actually couldn't sing along as I would start coughing, but today, I chose to sing. I've always loved singing and was jealous of my primary school chum Vivienne Carlisle when she got all the solos instead of me but she in now an international singer who has starred in west end shows so I don't feel so bad!

I went on to my appointment feeling positive, I came out feeling even better and after I spent the afternoon with my dear school friend Christine I was ready to sing. I made a playlist called NOW SING with all my favourite songs spanning many decades, genres and memories and I can't wait to start cooking the dinner so I can put my playlist on and sing out loud.

Processed with Moldiv