What is Pentimento

 My project, "pentimento life," is a prequel to what may become a blog for others who, like me, want to share their truth and connect. I am grateful that I can edit this site whenever I wish, as it evolves daily throughout the building process. The most challenging work is already complete; I have sorted through over 4,000 pictures and organized them into folders.  It serves as the biggest cover letter I have ever written, a place to speak from the heart, free from the fleeting opinions often found on social media. 

This has been a project floating around in the back of my mind for a very long time. I started it for myself, as a way to focus on all the changes that impact my life right now. Each day, I'm amazed at how it morphs into something bigger than I first envisioned. I wanted a single place to organize my life by decade, which makes it so much easier to focus on my memories. The energy I pour into this daily is incredibly cathartic. I truly believe we are all the same at our core. It's our unique differences in looks, color, age, and background that make us interesting and, if we're smart, valuable to one another. Our spiritual selves may seek guidance, but our humanity is also what carries us and connects us to each other throughout our lives. 

 My life is a personal reflection on the human element, a journey to reconnect with my inner child and understand the influences that have shaped each decade. The first twenty years created my foundation, a time when my future self was taking root. In my third and fourth decades, I dedicated myself to the friends who became an integral part of my advanced life. My fifth decade was a transformative, ten-year stretch in Belize, where the world outside of myself finally began to match the world within. Now, in my sixth decade, I find myself in this tiny room in the Yucatan, having almost the same number of things I started out with. As I sit and watch the people around me, I always wonder what has shaped their lives and what guides their actions. It is through these reflections that I'm able to find those who share my vision—to use our past selves to solve the puzzles that remain unfinished today. 

This is a really thoughtful question, and one that might be part of my being adopted and what that looked like to me as a child and now a someone wanting to figure out how I ended up where I am today.  If you're 60 years old and looking back, the advice you'd give your younger self would likely be a mix of regret, wisdom, and encouragement. It's about recognizing what truly matters in the long run.  Ultimately, these questions often revolve around appreciating the present, taking care of yourself, and prioritizing experiences and relationships over material possessions and career status. It's a reminder that life is shorter than you think. 

The "where do you see yourself in ten years?" interview question is one of the most dreaded because it often feels disingenuous. It's more about giving the "right" answer than it is about a genuine long-term plan.

Your reflection on it now is a great example of how we find clarity with time. Looking back, you can see what truly mattered and what you were really striving for, even if you couldn't articulate it at that moment. Life's path isn't a straight line, and it's full of unexpected turns.  I think that is everyone's life.

It's a beautiful thing to be able to look back and connect the dots. The "blanks" you're filling in now are the lessons and wisdom you've gained along the way. That's a sign of a life well-lived and well-reflected upon.  Learning never stops.

One reason I have so many pictures on this site is to preserve them.  I have carried this huge baby book around with me my whole life.  From California to Belize to the Yucatan and it is starting to fall apart.  I took pictures of everything that was not ruined and uploaded them into my computer by linking my phone to my computer and transferring them.  The poor book is old and tired, but the memories are there for family and friends.

My goal is to bring so much experience, not just mine, but others I talk to out in the world, or even anyone that wants to share their life experiences.  I have not decided how to use this site, but it is part of how I survive this next part of my life.  My BLOG will be fun.  If you want to read that, just join.