Pink Moon

It's been awhile since I updated my blog. I'm finally settled in my new home and was recently offered a promotion in my job at a non-profit. Life seems good but…….is it?

Without realizing it, I stopped writing and found myself disappearing into the “practical” side of everyday life. Months went by in the blink of an eye but the week ending April 13th, I felt a shift.

That day coincided with a pink full moon event. Thoughts of someone close I lost and had long since buried, began surfacing. It felt like I was being nudged awake.

I looked around and noticed a sense of complacency hanging in the air like a ticking clock. I felt at peace and content but uninspired. The voice of an old friend reminded me of the danger of lost potential.

Ironically, as I reactivated my website, I noticed my last blog post in October was a promise not to take time for granted. Yet here I was, doing the opposite.

I began cutting out distractions, went into hermit mode, and found a cheesy little film on Netflix, The Life List, that hit so eerily close to home, it felt like the universe was guiding me into action.

The main character in the movie whose middle name is also Carolina, is given a year to complete goals she set for herself in a list she wrote when she was 13. Watching, it felt like I was seeing myself.

Those closest to me know how much helping others and teaching mean to me. The open mic (I want to do SLAM to share my research) and her relationship ending over her refusal to work “for” a misguided big nosed boyfriend, capped off already insane amount of coincidences.

I woke up the next day and began to reclaim my passions. I got approval to move forward with a new focus on AI and society for my thesis. I insisted on a schedule to ensure I complete it in the next few months to obtain my Master’s diploma and officially start my formal experience as a social science researcher.

I spoke up and made a much needed change at work. This blog post marks my return to writing and commitment to developing my website and embark on projects I’ve been putting off.

Routine and stability are important but can often mislead us into numbing comfort. As scary as it may be, especially when beginning new chapters, life is meant to be lived to the fullest and using every one of our senses.

Whether a pink moon or cheesy film inspires you, figure out what you love doing most and do it. Otherwise, why worry about AI robots taking over when we are doing such a good job of living artificially ourselves?