Do Something. New. Today

Sometimes I feel like I’ve compressed as far as I can, simplified as much as possible, and now I’m ready to burst outward into new experiences, new learning, new relationships.  One of these tools for expansion—and doing something new—is something I had long forgotten until Shannon mentioned how much she’d like to learn to decorate cakes.  

In her job at Cold Stone (the gourmet ice cream shop), she’s learned not only the business of dealing with the public (one of her goals with the job) but something about the cultures of her Russian and Czech co-workers as well as how to make and decorate an ice cream cake. 

When she mentioned wanting to learn more about cake decorating, I had a flashback to when I was a couple of years older than she is now. I had just moved to Northwest Florida to be with my boyfriend-later-husband, and I often saw ads in the local papers for classes, seminars, and workshops that interested me.  The one I saw most was for cake decorating at the mall, but that was a far drive and I didn’t have the $25 at the time for the class, let alone for any supplies or even for the gas to get there. 

There were other seminars advertised in the local papers, too, and I was always interested but never attended.  I remember clipping ads for real estate investing, stock market tips, small business start-ups.  Cake decorating.  Yeah, that, too. 

 I guess the cake decorating and its creativity balanced my right-brain/left-brain turmoil.Throughout my marriage but after I finished graduate school, I went to a few seminars—though honestly, I ended up giving more writing and motivational seminars than I ever attended.  None of the ones I did attend were on cake decorating.  It doesn’t hold the same interest for me now as it did when I was 21, though I’m still a big fan of frosting. 

I found other things to learn through the local ads for classes, though, including my years of foil fencing, hypnosis, and a few unusual groups of free-thinkers.

When Shannon mentioned cake decorating classes, I suddenly realized that those seminars advertised in the local papers and on local websites that I’m interested in?  Well, they’re still there—tax planning, investing, photography, real estate, web design, yoga, art history, business marketing.  (No cake decorating, sorry.)  Most of the local classes are heavily Christian-based and in the church venue, so the choices are broader for Christians.  Then again, I don’t think I’ll be attending the “bikini bullriding” class either, but how fascinating to know that it’s available if I should change my mind!

So I did something today I haven’t done in years.  I signed up for a couple of local business seminars.  I’m not sure, with my busy schedule, if I could attend one class or workshop a week, but I’d like to.  For now, I’m planning on at least one a month, with a goal of two.    Even one, well, that’s just icing.