OK, make that 20 months ago, give or take a day – I started another search. The difference this time? It’s a conscious search for things I don’t know. Through all the years I’ve travelled, I’ve had specific goals and called some wonderful places home. Always had a base. Now I have neither.

Or do I?

Arrived in Cork a couple of weeks ago to find a coffee shop, two of my favorite sandwich shops and a locally-owned bookstore all closed. For good. Jet-lagged, I checked into one of my regular haunts, finally got to sleep – until the garbage truck visited at dark-thirty.

The four clocks on St. Anne’s steeple in Shandon are called “The Four Liars”. They haven’t agreed on the time since they were installed in 1847. I like their example.

I’m on local time now. And no longer on a night-to-night or week-to-week schedule like it’s been for the past months. Just signed a short-term lease and found a coffee shop and pubs where we’re learning each others’ habits. Sure I’ve gone back to old hangouts. But there are lots of new places to try. I’m living on a side of the river where I haven’t been before, so it’s time to explore – neighborhoods, pubs, restaurants and people. I’m re-discovering little things – like buying toothpaste and shampoo in larger-than-airline sizes.

And there’s that four-letter word: TIME.

Is it important? Sort of. I need to pay attention to curtain and exhibit times. And every time I think there’s not enough time for me to do everything, I remember. There is. And no more deadlines except the ones I give myself. [Deadline – what a name! Did you ever wonder where it comes from?] I set my priorities now, not clients.

It’s time. Time to see if I can keep the logistics of living from overtaking life. Getting organized is one of the best forms of procrastination ever developed. The other day on the radio I heard the Gospel of John [Lennon]: “Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.”

I don’t need to maintain the house I no longer own. Or, for now, organize my life around finding a place to sleep, or about packing and re-packing the few things I still own. Damn. Does this mean I need to figure out what to do with my life now that I think I might be growing up? There’s so much I want to do, so many places I want to explore, so much I want to learn. But you know something? Things don’t have to be done by yesterday any more. They’ll still be here and so will I.

Maybe, I’ll just…BE

Fellow beings welcome.