"You Were Born With Wings. Why Crawl Through Life?" - Rumi

As Time Flies By

   

As the year winds down, we reminisce about the passing of time and the events that took place in the past twelve months, and there seems to be a lot of excitement in the air as the whole world seems to look upon a new year as a way to get a second chance, begin anew... I guess that must be why we get all excited about where we are on New Year's Eve and whom we have by our side as the clock strikes twelve...that first kiss... The clock does strike twelve at midnight and a new day does begin for the rest of the 364 days of the year also... I guess we all crave a fresh start... 

But what does the world do on the first day of the  year,  how come we don't see what people actually DO to make their fresh start? Probably most are sleeping off the effects of too much drink, food and partying... 

Well, I did my part of looking back at 2011 and sending out well wishes and a bit of decorating for the season... Then, I got on a plane and flew half way across the world to come to Turkey, so I could be here the last day of the year and be surrounded by family and loved ones as the clock struck midnight.  We had a modest family gathering, no excessive drinking, just excessive eating, no unruly behavior... just wholesome family time and we were at home before it was even two o'clock. 

Thanks to our restraint from the night before, there was no hangover to deal with and we felt ready to get out and around Istanbul on this glorious day.  Our exploring did not take us too far and we ended up at my favorite restaurant in Istanbul, Set Balik in Kirecburnu.  As we drove into the parking lot, we were met with a scene of a colony of seagulls flying above the Bosphorus,  around the lighthouse, above a fishing boat... it was a magnificent sight to behold.  Just inhaling that fresh sea air and witnessing the dance of existence in its most primitive form was an invigorating experience.  

Then we sat down to eat... And that's how I found myself drinking raki and eating meze before I even had breakfast on the first day of the year. The meal was fabulous as usual, the mezes were so good that we never made it to the main fish course... and then to top it all of with Turkish coffee, it was just too perfect for mere words.  But for me it was the whole experience that was so precious... here I was in my own gorgeous city, enjoying a meal like none I can ever find in anywhere else in the world, sitting across my husband in a restaurant by the Bosphorus.  And we were going to spend ten days seeing family and friends, relishing all that Istanbul has to offer before we have to return to reality. 

As I pondered my reality back in the States I likened myself to those seagulls flying above the fishing boat.  Most of us are like those birds, flying in packs, spending our lives in search of food, education, comfort, a better future... and if we can live our lives in consciousness, maybe we can take a break to soar freely up in the skies every once in a while.  As the Great Rumi said "You were born with wings, why crawl thorough life?" This will be my motto for 2012.

Last year I made another quote by Rumi my motto- "Let the Beauty of What You Love be What You Do" and it took me far... into the world of art, writing, living with a zest for life... Now I am a little excited to see what this motto will bring...

As we left the restaurant, night had descended onto the Bosphorus and the damp, cold night air seeped into my bones.  The view had taken on a dark blue hue with a shimmering quality and the seagulls were still around, although most had settled on the water by now...  waiting for it to be morning so they could start the chase anew...