Sometimes, as I go about my day,  I encounter short flashes of inspiration that prove to me that I am on the right path. While walking home from school two days ago, I came across a smashed can of Prego tomato sauce beside the sidewalk – still partially covered by a plastic bag.

I immediately travelled back in time to a 7 year old me, mindlessly swinging a bag of my mom’s groceries as we carried them up the steps to our home . I remember the downward swing and then the crash as the glass container exploded at my feet. My  mom, a single parent of three, wondering if I was okay. I didn’t then, but now I can appreciate the frustration she must have felt at having to return to the grocery store to purchase another jar. I didn’t realize then that we were hard pressed for money, and now I wonder if she felt the tug of anxiety at $5.00 lost.

When I saw this jar on the grass beside the sidewalk I remembered this incident, and I started to wonder about the circumstances which led to “this” jar being broken. I felt the presence of ghosts who once stood where I stood. Perhaps an argument took place, maybe the person was alone and a swear word hangs  in the air. I was seeing the proof of a passing life. Looking down at this broken jar led me to think about how huge this world really is. It can be easy to hyper-focus on your own life and your own problems, and forget that you are not alone. So many lives, so many experiences, so many firsts occur around you everyday. It’s sort of exciting. It’s sort of magical.

I saw this broken jar, and my fingers itched to write about it. Maybe I will write a poem. The image is still ingrained in my head. I know that I am an artist because I come across garbage on the street and get excited. I am an artist because I am fascinated by what it means to be alive.

How does your passion materialize in your world? How do you know that you’re on the right path?