When I was pregnant with my daughter, I had decided to name her Annie. I’ve always loved that name, and it holds a lot of importance for me. When I went into labor, we drove to the hospital in a hurry. I turned on the radio, and the first song that started playing was Bob Dylan’s “Visions of Johanna.” I remember turning to my husband and saying: “I think we need to involve the universe in the naming of our daughter.”
Six hours later, Johanna was born.
The older I get, the more I realize how much more fun life can be if we’re a little less rigid. Plans are good, but sometimes it’s ok when they go in another direction.
On Thursday, we shot pictures for my upcoming album in Beattie Park. I had scouted out all the nice park benches and had chosen my favorites. When we arrived, all my favorite park benches had someone sleeping on them. There were only a handful of other benches, and they were all covered in goose poop.
So we laughed, and I sat down on a poopy one.
But then the geese started waddling over. Not just one or two. Dozens. They assumed we had food. Rather than get mad that my photo shoot had just become an episode of Wild Kingdom, we rolled with it. My photographer and friend Mindy double-exposed the film, and now my album press photos are of me with geese superimposed all over me. I may even change the name of my album to reflect how funny it was.
Reader, the moral of my week is: none of us are the main character in the story of the universe. We’re all just existing together, and many times, the universe upends our plans in favor of something else. When that happens, go with it. Let’s keep it light this week, and I’ll see you next Monday. -Em
