SOUL MUD: Random Ramblings of my 24/7 Brain

  What comes to mind when you hear the phrase “Small Town America?”   Do you envision a close-knit community that endeavors to build each other up?   Do you long for the slower pace and welcoming sense of belonging that the phrase conjures up?   Do you imagine a sense of belonging that comes from knowing everyone’s name and never doubting that your family extends outside your immediate relatives to the whole community? If only….Oh, the wonders of our imaginations and what we are able to create in our own minds.  To be honest, many days I find myself yearning for a slower pace – a life away from the hustle and bustle of big city dwelling.   However, if you were to glimpse me today, as I sit in my high-rise office building in the metropolis of Denver, Co, I am quite certain you would feel the wrath that is consuming me as I contemplate the mire that a dear friend finds herself in the midst of her “Small Town America” community.   I d...

Muse n.   Any of the nine sister goddesses in Greek mythology presiding over song and poetry and the arts and sciences; a source of inspiration, especially a guiding genius for a creative artist; a spirit or source that inspires an artist.   v.   To consider something thoughtfully; to think about something carefully and for a long time.   I’m all too aware of the fleeting nature of inspiration and the frustration of feeling uninspired.   I work to cultivate acceptance of inspiration as it comes, in a flood and ebb flow, knowing it can’t be forced or simply called upon.   But, is that really the truth?   Are we at the mercy of inspiration’s own wiles?   I’m not sure that is the case.   Admittedly, I’ve fallen victim to the conceit of thinking inspiration comes from a place within me.   That same belief has at times stunted me creatively when my internal well is dry.   But this is where the word muse comes into play,...