Need a new motto

Honolulu is a warren of one-way streets that create little blue pinwheels on your phone every time you miss a turn and force it to map a new route. I knew nobody would want to drive downtown with me to hang my show, but it still hurt my feelings when nobody did.

Opt for adventure, I tell myself. This is an old family motto.

You know you’re having an adventure when you’re not having any fun, myself replies. This is an even older family motto, usually said in a tow truck or while writing a police statement.

Got lost in Chinatown, went the wrong way up a loading dock, drove backwards down a street a short distance, and finally found my way to the correct parking garage without running over anybody. Jackie, my old instructor, arrived at the same time and grabbed some of my paintings to carry upstairs.

The gallery was big and empty. I claimed a spot with good light while the other artists trickled in. Next to their big beautiful wood prints and vibrant canvases, I began feeling self conscious about my shabby little thrift store frames and uneven varnish. Had trouble arranging all the paintings on the wall without having enough arms and eyeballs to back up and see how high they should go. Stepped away and had a moment in the empty bathroom. An encouraging quote was taped next to the toilet paper, which told me that I wasn’t the first artist to hide in the toilet worrying about their garbage artwork. 

Jackie helped bang my paintings up onto the wall for the next hour or so. I signed up for my sitting dates and wandered around, looking at the artwork going up and peeking out the window at the old boarded up buildings.

Bought some bbq sandwiches and went to my mom’s house instead of going home. We toasted with a Guinness, laughed about her neighbor’s terrible but very earnest Christmas decorations, and opened a box of fancy chocolates. Felt a bit better.

And then that evening Jackie’s husband tested positive for the virus, and I have been chased into the bedroom until a) Jackie’s test comes back negative or b) I get tested in three days. 

ADVENTURE.