What is luck anyway? Some ascribe it to timing being ‘right’ as in right time/right place sort of thing… Others feel that they were born under either a lucky or an unlucky star and are therefore either blessed or ill-fated their entire lives. Charmed or doomed however, we’ve all experienced bouts of good luck and stretches of bad luck. Learning to ride the wave is what growing up is all about. The Peter Pan syndrome of avoiding the crests and crashes but rather staying just above it all is a tempting trap to fall into. Puer Aeturnus (Eternal Child)…swashbuckling adventures—fighting pirates, flying and having all of your basic needs met with a little wishing and fairy dust doesn’t sound so bad after all.

But I still remember the sensation of quiet freedom and satisfying independence of the first meal I ever cooked in my very own kitchen…Having lived with family and then roommates for years, when I finally moved into my own place the first meal I ever cooked was ‘barefoot spaghetti’…nothing fancy—just an ordinary pasta dish with a little improvisation on the ingredients.

Barely unpacked, I roamed around the kitchen while the floor was still drying from its much needed scrub down and rummaging through my newly contact-papered shelves I felt what Peter Pan never experienced—the simple pleasures of adulthood. May have taken me longer than most to get there, (my therapist would gently remind me that it’s not a race) but that just meant I cherished it all the more. At the moment I forked in my first bite of barefoot spaghetti—I knew I was ‘home’. Right time, right place, right me.

Excerpted from “Lipstick and Thongs in the Loony Bin” by Courtney A. Walsh http://www.lipstickandthongbook.com

Tell us what you think and share your stories of building castles in the sand as a kids and even lately - we would love to hear about it. You can share pictures, too! I will post some of them on our website. Happy digging to you!
Dr. Debi