“The road of life twists and turns and no two directions are ever the same. Yet our lessons come from the journey, not the destination.” — Don Williams, Jr., American novelist and poet
Crystal Twister - Mother's Day 2011
One of the gifts I received for Mother’s Day is a really cool “Crystal Twister.” The silver twists of metal hold captive two multi-faceted lead glass spheres, and have a single pear-shaped piece that dances freely at the bottom.
After selecting a corner in the living room—the one with the most natural light—I hung it from the ceiling, and then opened the top portion of one of the windows. As the twister caught the gentle breeze, it threw confetti-like reflections onto the surrounding walls and ceiling. Rather mesmerizing, it set my mind to thinking about the many twists and turns in life.
Hasbro produces a board game called, “The Game of Life: Twists and Turns.” The product detail reads: “Players can test drive different lives, make their own choices, take their chances and experience the twists and turns of real life. The automated LIFEPod helps players track time, manage money, houses, cars, and family matters with the touch of a button. A thousand ways to play, no two games are the same!”
As a kid, there were times in the car that we’d hit an unexpected bump in the road. My mom would turn around and say, “That’s a kiss-me-quick!” I don’t know about you, but in hindsight, some of the most seemingly “negative” twists have turned out to be positive.
What’s the most unexpected twist or turn that you’ve encountered along life’s journey? If it was seemingly “negative” at the time, did it turn out to be positive after all?
“Whatever you are not changing, you are choosing.”
— Laurie Buchanan
www.HolEssence.com and our Facebook page
© 2011 Laurie Buchanan – All Rights Reserved
Tuesdays with Laurie 
The most unexpected twist in my life–well, one of them anyway–was moving to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. As a child of 12 I’d prayed to God to get me “out of this godforsaken place.” Ha ha, what a twist & turn! God roared in delight and sent me here to live–and learn to love it. (Pretty crystal twister, Laurie!)
Kathy – Being right smack-dab in the middle of a place you thought you didn’t want to be, yet it’s turned out to be Home Sweet Home — that definitely IS twist!
Any negatives in terms of relationships ending I have to see in a positive light because without those endings I wouldn’t have my two children.
And that – you’ll not be surprised to hear – trumps everything else.
Paul – I enthusiastically second the motion: children, do indeed, trump everything else 🙂
The crystal twister is lovely, Laurie. I can see how it would inspire your day with thoughts of the twisting road we all travel in life. For some odd reason, we think life is to be otherwise, forever smooth sailing. Yet, via the bumps we discover who are and that is likely the very purpose of life! Thanks for a lovely post and for being such a wonderful kindred spirit. With heart, Daisy
I loved this statement about self-discovery and it being the very purpose of life..This has been my own experience as well as I climbed over many mountains.
Novicenet – Welcome to Speaking from the Heart and sharing your thoughts. I hope you’ll make yourself at home and visit again.
Lovely twister Laurie. I can imagine the light splattering the walls in cascading drops as it turns.
The most recent unexpected twist and turn in my life, as you, has been David’s stroke about a year and a half ago. It was not only negative but life threatening and has resulted in a long recovery process. However, today I can count so many blessings from this turn of events in our lives including deeper awareness to energy connections, the unexplainable power of love, the healing qualities of walking in the woods, the resiliency of beings and a peace with how things must be – for a time. My next solo exhibition STUDY OF BLUE is a direct result of this turn in life.
Thanks so much for asking Laurie. You have been a part of this turn and twist from the beginning. I count myself fortunate to count you as a professional healing resource and as a friend.
Terrill – I have oh-so-admired the way that you and David weathered that storm. It was horrific, but you’ve both come out the other side with so many more layers to your BEing, to your very essence. I, too, count your friendship a jewel in my cap.
Love your crystal twister Laurie, I could spend hours ‘meditating’ on that! The game sounds very interesting too, I’ll have to check it out.
As for the ‘twists and turns’ along the way in my life, the first one that came to mind was loosing of the first love of my life.
I was devastated when ‘the man of my (then) dreams’ returned from Viet Nam and within a few days abruptly called off our wedding. I thought my life was over. I yelled at God for a long time over that one too. Until I realized what a blessing in disguise it was to have been ‘dumped’ I was misserable.
Years later I spoke with his wife who told me how lonely she’d been spending most of thier marriage by herself while he traveled the world on military missions. All’s well that ends well huh.
Alison – Oh, what a great story! And what initially appeared to be the “short end of the stick” turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Thank you for sharing that with us here today.
Twists and turns lead to exponential growth without a doubt.
when I read what Terrill had written,I wanted to mention a new book in case she doesnt know-it is written by Diane Ackerman-Hundred names for love,–could you pass this info to her?
Roamer – I will send the information to Terrill right now 🙂
And she did Roamer. I hadn’t heard of this book and shall check it out. Thanks so much for passing it along 🙂
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim
Because it was grassy and wanted wear,
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I marked the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
Laurie, the above poem by Robert Frost is I believe an apt companion piece to the passage you feature above by Don Williams. Both of course broach the concept of personal choice, independence and making the most meaningful decisions. Needless to say, as always a great lead-in!
Similarly Hasbro’s “The Game of Life” has me thinking of this coming weekend’s opening of Terrence Malick’s long-awaited “The Tree of Life” which surely will embrace some of the thematic underpinnings of your post here. I am excited about this particular film, especially since it’s been push back a number of times.
Ah, your sprout question Laurie will bring out my romanticism and the first date I had with Lucille on June 4, 1994. It changed my life, and was the most beautiful thing that ever happened to me.
I know, ah shucks
Sam – I enjoyed the Robert Frost poem that you shared here, thank you. I’ve been following the back/forth dialogue on the emails surrounding the film, The Tree of Life — it’s definitely got me chomping at the bit to see it! But most of all, I love your answer — Lucille — to the sprout question 🙂
What a beautiful gift, Laurie.
My life has held and continues to hold many twists and turns. They are usually caught unprepared and I hit my head against the wall. It hurts. Not being able to take my planned route, I throw my hands in the air–caught up in and overwhelming feeling of defeat. What I am struggling hard to learn is that this twist is not the end of my journey. It is only a detour.
Leanne – You’re right, it’s only a detour. Someone recently wrote a really cool response in one of the blog posts, it said something like this: When you let go of control, it leaves you open for the most pleasant surprises.
Hi Laurie
So many twists its hard to choose a “most” (sometimes feels more like life in a tumble drier).
It would probably be calling in to Kaikoura 20 years ago, to give a day’s training to a girl operating a computer system I had sold to Virgo Fisheries.
I did the training session with Lynette, then went back to the motel where my mother an son were.
A couple who used to farm up near where I lived at Waitakaruru had moved to Kaikoura the year before so I decided to look them up. As I called around, it happened to be Diane’s birthday, and she had invited a few friends around. One of those friends I liked the look of. Following a 3 year long distance romance, we got married, and after 4 years in Waitakaruru Ailsa convinced me to move to Kaikoura (before asking her to marry me I was very clear to her that I was never leaving Waitakaruru).
A few twists in there, and many more since.
Wouldn’t have missed any of them.
Ted – Oh my gosh, I LOVE your story! Some people might call that coincidence. I’d say it was impeccable timing orchestrated by… (fill in the blank — we all have a different name for what that might be). The main thing is, there was a spark, and then a connection 🙂
Twisting and turning I am.
No dizziness at all.
Round and round you go, where you stop, nobody knows…..
Kim – Whoa there, I’m gonna toss my cookies!
Hi, Laurie, the heart attack I had last year almost put me in a tailspin, however, it did teach me to put things into perspective. I have found smarter ways to do things, or maybe not even do them at all. I found that it doesn’t hurt to say “No”. I would rather cut grass than vacuum and the roof has not fallen in. It is certainly more about what I want than what others want me to do. After all, it’s my Life I’m living here. I had Extreme Moose Tracks Ice Cream for lunch today and it made me very happy. Little things in life can color your world with rainbows!
Sandi – I can well imagine the perspective check that a heart attack would set into motion. I love your observation: Little things in life can color your world with rainbows!
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Gee Laurie, catching up on your posts are giving me things to think about in my own life. Thank you.
A huge twist and turn in my life was believing I was meant to live in Napa, CA. I made all the preparations for selling house in Georgia, selecting apartment in Napa, movers to get me moved, and my brother came down from Michigan to help me drive out there arriving 4 days later.
After a couple days my brother flew back to Michigan, the movers never showed up until 3 weeks later, and at some point I became ill. I had started looking for work, but I got too ill to go for interviews. Eventually I began getting a whisper of a message that I should return to Georgia. It would speak to me the same message every morning when I first woke up. I could not understand why, but after a month of hearing it I decided there must be a reason. My brother told me if I decided I needed to come back he would fly out and help me drive back.
So, 5 months after arriving in Napa we headed back to Georgia. My house had not sold so me and my dog, Bear moved right back in. (Bear has since passed away.)
I don’t know why I was so inspired to make that move out there, and then had to come back here, but here I am…where I have never felt “at home.”
Did it turn out to be positive after all?
Well, a few months later I began going to Greenville, SC just for a place to get away for day trips since it is only 2 hours away. I never thought of South Carolina as a potential place to live. However, after less than two years making day trips there and the occasional weekend trips I began realizing that I have never felt so AT HOME anywhere else.
Ann – I love how you wrapped up your story with, “…I have never selt so AT HOME anywhere else.” Perhaps you’ll relocate to South Carolina and continue Life’s Journey from that geographic location.
That is my plan. Trying to find some creative way I can sell my house and get at least SOME money clear out of it.
I need the money in order to move…it does cost to move and get into another place.
It will happen one of these days. In the meantime I have met a lot of people there, many who keep telling me I need to hurry up and get there 🙂 And since it is only 2 hours away I can take day trips there…although not so frequently with the current cost of gas 😦
There are things there which I try to keep involved with, which allows me to get to know some of the people better, and meet more 🙂