Fate? Ramdomosity? God? Dumb Luck? Happenstance?

"A person often meets his destiny on the road he took to avoid it."

-Jean de La Fontaine

Last summer, on a certain hot day here in the Bay Area, I decided to skip fixing dinner, and instead, grabbed some Chinese food take-out. It was 109 that day, and to be honest, I had thought about not having any meal at all. I don't do well on days like that, in fact, all thinking tends to come to a full stop for me, if it is too hot outside. And on that day it was TOO hot! But there had been a raging heat wave for most of that week, so I think I was sorta getting used to it. No such thing as Global Warming my pet goat! LOL. Anyway, the restaurant was blissfully cool, and I knew that if I spent a little while, in a different setting, my mood would more then likely improve. It did. :) I brought the meal home, and when I was finished eating, I broke open the fortune cookie closest to me. The message, in the above picture, is what I found.

"You will have good luck in the autumn." How strange that I would get a fortune cookie, that would contain a message of such specific hope. How did the cookie know that I regard autumn as the best season of the year? As the season when all good things would happen to me? My whole life I have been convinced that autumn held some special power over me, and that nothing wicked or evil could possible occur in the autumn. I still do. I have to admit however, that some incredibly bad incidents have happened to me in autumn, yet for some reason, I never blame the season. Go figure. After all, don't most things happen randomly? I have had some bad luck in most all the seasons, just like everyone else. Yet here I sit, almost lamenting the fact that soon, my wonderful season of leaves, and harvested fruits and vegetables, and darkening days, is almost over for another year. :(

What about the fortune cookie prediction? Well, as luck goes mine wasn't bad at all this autumn, but I was thinking tonight, as I looked at that photo, 2006 has treated me pretty well, personally, as years go. I had a great time with my camera, and learned a few things about natural lighting and patience. I did some fixing up of my house, it's so comfy right now. The T'ai Chi has been an amazing experience in discipline. I do the Qi Gong while sitting at my desk, and it has helped a lot with some of the stress I feel from time to time. Like when AOL drops me off every 35 minutes. Tee Hee.

So tell me, how has 2006 treated you? Has this been a good year for you? How about for your creative pursuits? Have you felt creative this year? Do you feel like you have better luck during certain times of the year? Is life all directed by Fate? God? Happenstance? Dumb Luck? Or are we all apart of a bigger Randomosity?

Here are some random moments of 2006... Enjoy!

The end of a water lily's life.

Seals on a rock in the Monterey Bay.

Awesome kite sculpture and a rainbow sunset.

M&M snack attack!

The underside of a Buckeye butterfly. Amazing beauty!

Driving through the Caldecott Tunnel gives me the wiggins. I did it anyway, but I waited for autumn first! :) Maybe that was my good luck... a safe journey.

-OndineMonet