Changing My Place by Barry Hughes

As the “stay at home” period has stretched into months, the art scene in my neighborhood has evolved. In the beginning, chalk art was everywhere, block after block. As the weeks have rolled by, that is becoming a rare sighting. In the early days, the messages were general and broad. In later weeks the words were more specific, speaking to people by name.

The artist who lives in this house has moved to the next level. The text is faint, and I had to spend a few moments studying the work to understand what was going on. They had drawn two grids of boxes, both the same, side by side. The words over the one on the left read, “Reserved for Barbie and Friends”. The one on the right, “Reserved for Stuffed Animals”. Talk about a kid with a plan! I think we would probably get along quite well.

As I continued down the street, I was taken with the idea that the artist was making plans. Their play was going to have a change of scenery. Their inside toys were stepping out out. They were mixing it up. Trying something new. This little one had decided, in their own way, that if they had to stay in one place, they would change the place.

Sometimes we find ourselves in places that, at least for the current season, aren’t going to change. In such moments, we face a decision regarding what we will do in this unwanted place. We face a decision about who we will be in this unwanted place. Like my neighbors, we can think of new ways of living out of the things we already have. We can look at our routines in new ways. We can step out and reserve new spaces for our “Barbies” and “stuffed animals”. If the place isn’t going to change, we can change the place.

What can I do today to change my place? How might I make it a little brighter? What can I “move around” that would make a difference? My priorities? My schedule? My attitude? It seems we are going to stay in this place for a while longer. I’m going to get to work changing my place. What about you?

Peace.