Turning the page...

I'm not leading a double life. I'm leading a triple life.

I always wanted to be able to say that. But as with most things we wish for, I didn't really understand what I was getting myself into.

In one of my three lives, I am the dutiful cog in the machine of a large investment firm. It's not exactly representative of my life's hopes and dreams, but it's close to home and affords me a myriad of benefits that I suddenly can't imagine living without. And perhaps most importantly, it enables me to partake in the second of my triad of lives.

My second life consists of wide-eyed dreaming, unchecked curiosity and debate in the vast universe of academe. By my calculation, I've spent more time inside the classroom walls than asleep in bed, and far more time than in any other avenue of my life. Being an adult student, though, gets you thinking not only about the staggering number of hours you spend at school, but also the enormous costs-- both financial and emotional-- that come with the status of "nontraditional student."

Among the costs is the immeasurable impact on my third life-- the as-yet private one. In this life, I am a poet and a would-be collage artist. I'm a chef and an author. I take care of animals and they, more often than not, take care of me in return. This private life is not the one I intend to unfold before you, although hints and glimpses are sure to show through from time to time. All I can ask is that you, dear reader, be kind with your consideration of what is and should remain a quiet affair.

My initial intent-- my impulse here, my experiment-- is what I will share more about in my next entry.