Hunger

I started blogging when I first moved nearly full time to Newfoundland. Without much thought, really, or reflection. I only get a sense of my own motivations long after their initialization. At the time, I tend to "just do it" without too much navel-gazing or careful evaluation. My best ideas seem to take place that way. They drift in, often disguised in the form of something else. Only afterwards will I think, hey, that was something I put in my "Dream Book" a long time ago and now it's happened. Wow, would you look at that.

I am one of those people who is open to new experiences, new people, new locales. I am a shy person by nature until I get to know someone. I'm not one to toot my own horn on first acquaintance, I prefer to get to know the other person, sound them out, listen to their life journeys, their narratives. Others have always fascinated me. Particularly as to what brought them to a certain place, a certain time, even into a certain relationship. If they're willing to share, great, if not, that's fine too.

Most people in a social setting come in two kinds, those who are voluntarily there because they love going out or those who are dragged there by a partner or friend. I can easily sort out who is who.

Arriving as a stranger here I have forced myself to go out and about and meet new people. Otherwise I would be that weird hermit in the old D--- place, keeps herself to herself and talks to her dog a lot. Not that there would be anything wrong with that. I sometimes am that weird old hermit, particularly when Scriobhnarin, (pronounced for those who care - Screevnareen) my own personal writing muse, descends. I spend a lot of time alone and am happy with my own company.

You may wonder, if you're still with me this far, what the hell is this all about, I've titled the thing 'hunger' after all and rabbitted on a bit about blogging, social scenes and niceties, etc.

The thing is I hunger for good conversation, for an exchange of dialogue, for spouting of new ideas, for throwing down the gauntlet of the fire of creativity. I started this blog because of the dearth of this. I had left many friends behind in Toronto, dear people I would engage with on a regular basis and we would toss stuff around like multi-coloured balloons against the blank canvas of the sky.

This blog and reading other blogs has satisfied so much of that hunger. And I find in the past year here particularly I am finally meeting with like-minded souls. I had such an afternoon today. Lunch in a new friend's house, followed by a great hike overlooking an incredible bay with the fall colours dancing all around us and the blue of the sky so piercing it hurt the very soul.

And I left my new friend's house hours and hours later, loaded down with DVDs, books, CDs, muffins, crab-apples and rhubarb jam. And a head full of ideas for the next time. And a list as long as my arm of more people for me to meet.

How truly blessed I am. My hunger is sated.