Chasing Down the Muse: Chase continues, but this is my last column

It feels right. But it’s emotional. Saying goodbye to anything you’ve done that long is hard. — Angela Ruggiero

After nearly 20 years of writing this column — from the long-ago days of the Tides and Times newspaper and transitioning through to the present Coastline Pilot — this will be the end of the chase in its current form.

As with all of us, so much has happened in that time in my life. Children have grabbed hold of their own lives, and grandchildren are reaching for theirs. Mountains have been climbed, rivers run, trails hiked, canyons delved, beaches camped upon and so much more.

Careers have ended; others have begun. Body parts have worn out and been replaced, skin has sagged a bit, paces have slowed. Friends have passed on; new ones have been made. Weddings, birthdays, funerals, graduations — celebrations of the many passages of life have taken place, filled with joy and sometimes with sadness.

The world itself has changed — not always for the better. We change with it — not always for the better.

Such is life.

Chasing down the muse has from the start been for me a path of not knowing, of going where I am led and of being fully there on arrival. This has meant that many things over the years have surprised me. Change has been a constant companion — sometimes welcome, sometimes not. But has it been a grand time? You bet!

As I write this now, I cannot help but wonder where this newest change will lead, what path the muse will lead me down next. But I trust this grand lady, my muse. She has not done me wrong yet, though at times I have wondered.

In fact, my muse was the one who led me to write this column in the first place. Without that, I would not have had the pleasure of knowing some pretty special people — Cindy Frazier, Stu Saffer, Jerry Ledbetter, Alisha Berman and more.

But it’s time. And goodbyes are sad. So, to paraphrase Ernie Harwell, here’s to the next new adventure. The chase after the muse continues.

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CHERRIL DOTY is an artist, writer and teacher who embraces the mystery and magic of all that is life. You can reach her at (714) 745-9973 or by email at cherril@cherrildoty.com. And for more about the adventure of the chase, visit www.cherrildoty.com