Turning Points

I like fresh starts. Unknown adventures. Turning points. And I’ve had my share.

Today is the winter solstice (for us Northern Hemispherians). A time of change. When the light advances. When the seasons turn.

Take a look at the image above. See the two colored halves? Imagine that’s the astronomical calendar divided by the solstices. And see the thin gray line cutting across? That represents the two equinoxes halfway between the solstices. So our experience of the natural world on this planet is divided into quarters. Or cycles, if you like. And each cycle creates an inflection point.

Look again at the image and think of that abstract mesh-y shape like a time tunnel. As we age, we travel with time through these four quarters and halves while we live our lives.

I recently put my own life up to the mirror of this quarterly framework. Here’s what I found:

Taking a guess at my potential life span (using my parents as models and discounting anything unexpected), I discovered some curious things . . .

At exactly the one-quarter mark, I moved to a different continent, a different country (France). My language skills swelled (I communicate in four idioms), and I started on a new creative track that would follow and push me along even after coming back to the U.S.

At the halfway point, after my wife and I survived the Northridge earthquake in Los Angeles, we decided to leave California for parts unknown. Change our lives completely. Move from the city to the country. And we ended up building a house 3,000 miles away on the East Coast. Where new opportunities presented themselves, including the first inklings and notions of a book writing career.

And at the three-quarter turn, I released my first fiction novella about the birth of New York City, which ultimately grew into the saga-length omnibus edition. And which wouldn’t have happened if the prior turning points had not, including my swimming around Manhattan midway between the quarter and the half.

Which brings me to the here and now. At another personal turning point. A mini one. Not a big half or a quarter, because, well, time is short, you know? But in this case, I’m about to launch the final book in my Neanderthal time-travel adventure series (within two weeks; the image at top is a hint). And then . . . I’ll be starting a new adventure right away. And you’ll be hearing about it.

Happy Solstice!