i have read somewhere that thinking about happy moments makes you happy, feel positive, good. this was offered up as an antidote to loneliness; in other words, think negative thoughts and you’ll feel shitty. of course, this alone isn’t sufficient to changing your outlook on life; but it is one micro-action with potential.
at the end of October of 2017, I embarked on a solo trip to Oaxaca City. Earlier in the year—in January, the month of resolutions—I had registered for a creative workshop taking place there. I met some wonderful women, a Swiss and four Americans. I kept a colourful journal during the trip—the workshop in fact was about creative journaling—and made sure to record small details that I knew I would otherwise forget.
here’s an undated entry:
THINGS THE WOMEN SAID
- creative compost (Lisa, the workshop instructor)
- oh, my word (Giana, said this a lot, so I couldn’t help notice)
- madre fucker (Sheryl, I think we were in a restaurant, and this was funny as she was trying to speak Spanish but this is all she could manage—pretty well)
- “that’s my baby wipe!” (said by Erin, as reported by her mother Sheryl; this baby wipe had an assortment of paint on it and Erin planned to use it in her journal; Sheryl, eventually gave me a piece of that baby wipe for my journal)
- nasty little street panda (said by Erin’s husband who was not on this trip but reported by Erin in a story she was recounting, I think this was in reference to a street child or a little peddler of artifacts, chewing gum, and what not)
- pretty little liars (said by Bobby, this woman said the most interesting things!)
and then there was Diego, who was our guide and driver for some of our short day trips, he said:
- gogle (he pronounced it gogle but meant Google—I did not correct him because it made me smile)
This trip was not all peaches and cream but there were many happy and magical moments.