I remembered something...

Back in the day, let's say, in about 1984 or so, I went to a bookstore late one winter evening, in Madison, Wisconsin. There, I found a book of poetry with a title I liked, so I bought it. Being just about, or not quite 19, the emotional and sentimentally romantic poetry of the author appealed to me. I sat in the car in the cold and the snow, waiting for my friends, and reading poems out loud to my then-boyfriend, Tom.

I lost that book a long time ago, but found another copy in a used bookstore. Previously, I had also found a website with a collection of the woman's poems. I will try to find her other books again. Many of her writings still speak to me.

Years later, in about 1999, after being sick, and depressed, and spiraling downward for years, I re-read one of her poems, and knew what I had to do. I am not finished yet, but I have made significant strides, and wanted to share that poem. I still keep it in mind in trying to "turn my life around," and it still helps center and ground my thinking as well as motivate me:

Choices

All you have to do
to change your life
is to change your mind
...it really is that simple
But
it isn't always easy.

All you have to do
to stop feeling bad
is to start feeling good
But
"feeling good" is not a one-time event
It is a decision we make
minute by minute
day by day
...It is a creation.

The way to change the world
is to change
your attitude towards it
...not just once,
but all the time.

Merrit Malloy, From My song for Him Who Never Sang for Me

I think she's still got something there. It's made a difference for me, that's for sure!

Talk to you soon,
Danielle