50 years of me

-

 I'm laying here in bed reminiscing and enjoying the silence. Thankful for reaching this milestone birthday. I immensely enjoyed my day at the Georgia Aquarium yesterday being awed by the magnificence of life. 

As a Pisces and former oceanography major, aquariums are my favorite places to visit. I overall loved the feel and layout of this one. I enjoyed the belugas and the dolphins as always. I saved the Ocean Voyager room for last because it's the one I really wanted to experience. 

One of my favorite unexpected things was the bioluminescence exhibit. I couldn't capture it because you're not supposed to use phones in there, and honestly it would take away from the moment of just being present. There are millions of bioluminescent dinoflagellates in the ceiling above you, and randomly a ripple would cause them to light up. I stood with my back against the wall and just looked up at the ceiling for about 20 minutes. Most people just walked through, but it was the perfect place to just stop and enjoy something so rare. 

The whale shark was also magnificently impressive. The largest and smallest creatures on display, and me just soaking it all in was a great way to start off my 50th birthday celebration.



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A Work in Progress

-
Image
       This year will mark the sixth time I enter ArtPrize.  For those of you that don't know, ArtPrize is an annual competition here in Grand Rapids. This year also marks the sixth year of losing my mother. My mom was always my biggest supporter of anything I wanted to do in life, except maybe moving to Michigan. She knew I was creative, but she never got to see me actually come into my own as an artist. Her passing during the pandemic catapulted me into my art career. I found solace in painting and a way to tamp down my grief. In the last 6 years, I have created well over 150 pieces. What I haven't done, is take the time to grieve.      The piece above is called, "Because I Knew You." It is an interpretation of the urn that holds my mother's ashes. The five yellow roses symbolize her 5 children - my siblings and I. The 10 white roses represent our children, her grandchildren, who were her pride and joy. The title comes from the song, "For Good" ...
Read more

Head in the Clouds... and Beyond

-
Image
I was born under the sign Pisces, so I tend to have my head in the clouds…a lot. I’m an artist and a dreamer, so when I was tasked to write about current events, I put my head back and looked towards the sky. Not because I’m unaware of what’s happening around us day to day. I’m deeply aware. I just don’t feel compelled to give it my voice. Instead, I turn my attention towards the stars. Recently, the James Webb Space Telescope detected molecules that could be the earliest building blocks of life in a nearby galaxy. Small organic compounds – things like benzene and methane – that have never been observed before outside of the Milky Way. Traces of carbon-based materials too. I’ll stop there before the science gets too dense (and before I start sounding like someone much more qualified – Hi, Neil deGrasse Tyson). But the astronomy nerd in me can’t help being completely fascinated. What fascinates me? A love of science that spans as far back as I can remember. One of the first gifts I ...
Read more

You Touched My Hair...During Black History Month?

-
Image
I am fortunate enough to have a career that allows me to work from home most of the time. Last week though, I was in the office talking with a coworker when another woman walked up, grabbed my hair and said, "oh your hair is so cute!" I immediately jerked my head away and said, "Thank you, but don't touch my hair." She looked surprised. "Don't touch your hair?" I didn't hesitate. "NO… Don't touch my hair." I love changing my hairstyle. Unfortunately this wasn't the first time I've had to say that at work. I've had someone walk up to me and squeeze my afro puff. Someone else touched the beads in my braids. None of it was malicious, but that doesn't make it okay. It shouldn't happen at all. First and foremost, touching anyone without permission is inappropriate, especially in the workplace. Second, I am a person - not an object, not a curiosity, and not a pet. Microaggressions like this still happen, ...
Read more