The last time I made such hints about an upcoming adventure and then wrote A Big Reveal, I worried some of you. And completely freaked out my parents.
It was amusing. (The real explanation for that can be found here.)
In order to explain a bit about what’s been going on in my life, I thought I’d write you a story.
The Metaphorical Story With Hints of Cliché
For at least five years now, it’s like I’ve been walking down a bitumen road that goes on and on and on and on, forever, in a straight black line, never shifting, never swerving, with no flowers to the side and no fluffy clouds above, just on and on until the horizon.
However, in recent months, it became like the sun was burning hotter and brighter, and like the bitumen was melting under my feet. Each step was a struggle to pull my shoes free of the sticky strands of black, and the fumes started to make me feel dizzy.
So I stopped. I stopped walking in that direction. Instead, I listened to my friends and family, and I cartwheeled off the road.
Now, it’s like I’m walking up a green hill. I can’t see what’s on the other side, and yes, today I slipped and fell in the dirt face-first, but my mum helped dry my muddy tears and I’m determined to keep walking.
* * *
So that’s it for tonight. For the next little while, I might be a little less hyperactive than normal when it comes to commenting on your blogs, but then again I might be equally as present. I’m not sure.
Before I go, though, I’ll leave you with a teaser about the dessert I had at my mum’s birthday dinner on the weekend. It wasn’t awful.
P.S. Oh, heck. You know I can’t leave well enough alone. I have to give you some advice:
If you join a non-religious gospel choir, keep in mind that even if the group itself isn’t religious, the music is still spiritual. And that you therefore might want to double-check the lyrics even if you think you heard them correctly the first time.
Because it turns out that the lyrics are “…in the Scriptures of the past”.
And you were singing – nay, belting out – “…in the Scriptures of the bus”.
THE SCRIPTURES OF THE BUS.
Yours,
Hannah the Nincompoop.
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Wow – can’t wait for the next post. Also very very curious about what that dish is…
Thank you! All shall be revealed about the dish later…
Haha, okay, looking forward now! And I’ll check out the post you’ve linked later, with a little more time.
Would you join my little Solidarity with Japan project? If you have so many lovely memories of that country, you could write something about that … I’d love to read!
Kath, I’ll definitely keep that in mind. I have a wealth of photos from my Japan trip in 2007, but they’re on an old computer. I’ll see if I can track them down
We all go through different phases in life, and changes can be exciting. It is certainly ok to fall. My teacher used to tell me ‘If you fall walking, get up, for all must fall to gain strength.’ We’re all behind you!
What a lucky girl you are to have had a teacher like that.
Thank you Kayla! Such words of support are utterly wonderful to hear right now
Cartwheeling through the meadow is a great way to go through life. I recommend it!!!
I have some hopes about what your secrets may be. Can’t wait to find out!
Teehee, the secret is probably going to be far more banal than you’d hoped! But it still counts as a cartwheel to me
The trouble with walking along roads is there’s always a chance you’re going to be hit by a bus. lol. Hills are much more fun – trees, flowers, shade and the promise of getting to the top just so you can lie down and roll all the way to the bottom! Good on you for making that cartwheel and I’m sure the year ahead looks brighter already
Thank you so much, Helen! It’s been a long time since I’ve rolled down a hill. Might have to get myself to the lawns of Parliament and do it for real soon
The Parliament slopes are so soft and comfy. Don’t ask me how I know this. lol
They are, Helen, right until the moment you hit one of the concrete paths that run horizontally across them. Evil, evil concrete paths…
can’t wait to hear about your birthday dinner!
In keeping with the scripture theme – Psalm 121 says ‘I lift mine eyes unto the hills when cometh my strength’ (I love the King James Version!) but my point, Hannah, is keep going on that lovely green hill and remember to smell the flowers on the way .
Thank you Grandma
It means so much to me to have your and Grandpa’s support.
I’ll endeavour to post about it soon!
Oh silly- the scriptures on the bus go round and round!
I hope the changes are positive and look forward to hearing more about them.
*laughs* Brilliant, Louise. I’ll make sure to sing that next time
And thank you.
Too cheeky Louise.
That dessert looks very good! I can’t wait to hear more about it…
I”ll try not to make you wait too long
Change is good! Look forward to hearing more
Thanks Maria! I look forward to being able to tell more
So I just read your story about “the older man” and it made me laugh. Good stuff!
Change often brings times where we fall in the mud… I’m just so glad that you have a mom there to dry your muddy tears.
That was possibly one of the happiest weekends of my life
And yes, it seems mud is somewhat inevitable!
That’s a dessert? It looks like a lovely hash with a beautifully poached egg on top. I must be hungry for breakfast, even though it’s dinnertime.
And I can’t wait to hear what you’re up to!
The mind sees what it wants to see, hmm?
But no, I’m not really keen on poached eggs for dessert 
It does look like that doesn’t it? And I was there!
No you weren’t! Lies! No way were you at your own birthday dinner!
Girl – I am most intrigued now!!!
Teehee, it’s probably not all that intriguing really…
You know, that is a pretty powerful story…don’t worry about not emailing me! I completely understand. And also, I know you don’t really know me from a bar of soap but you can talk to me at any time and I will always listen.
Also, what the hell is that dessert? Is that an egg ’cause that’s what it looks like! Here’s my guess…it’s an egg on top of a pancake thingy (my first guess was an egg on top of a corn fritter but then I realised it was supposed to be dessert!). Oh, with some random orange sludge underneath.
Ooo, and there is this song that my ex and I used to like but we weren’t religious so we changed the words from ‘lead me to the cross’ to ‘lead me to the moss’ and it was brilliant…but not as brilliant as “in the Scriptures of the bus”!
Vaala, if I must follow this analogy, you are a beautiful, kind, gorgeously-perfumed and generous bar of chocolate-y soap in my mind
Thank you so much for you words of support. I will email at some point, I promise!
*laughs* Wow, your interpretation of that dessert is so far from delicious that it makes me giggle… Orange sludge and egg? Wow.
P.S. I thank you for interpreting my lyric mistake as brilliant rather than idiotic
M was rather disturbed with my interpretation. But I have to say that the photo you used in the following post did not look as much like an egg (although all I could see was an egg since, well, I clearly had an egg brain. Not that I know what an egg brain would be but I had one). Personally I think orange sludge and egg would be amazing…(ly awful but one never knows).
Have you ever had a soap or a candle or something similar which spelt so good that you just wanted to eat it? It’s damn frustrating. Even worse than herbal tea which never tastes even close to as amazing as it smells. I had a chocolate lip balm thingy once and I just couldn’t use it after a while because it made me grumpy. I just wanted to eat chocolate and I wouldn’t have any to eat so it was all rather tragic and many people will tell you that I am a horrible orange sludge and egg when I am grumpy.
And speaking of mistakes with words…today I read your most current post and you said, “On a pleasantly balmy Saturday night…” which I read as “On a pleasantly bumpy Saturday night…” and spent a while wondering why it was bumpy. I kid you not.
Oh Vaala … couldn’t resist piping in here. You made me laugh … and your last para reminded me of my cantankerous childhood. In other words, I was determined to be my own person and so on long drives my parents would hear me say, “Hate trees, love bumpy roads”. (You can guess what this was in response to). Now, I’m more inclined to agree with them … but, a bumpy Saturday night does sound intriguing. What a shame Hannah can’t fill us in!!
Oh, this is like a challenge now. I clearly have to come up with a story for a bumpy Saturday night… I must also agree with mum on the fact that your comment made me giggle at multiple points!
I wholeheartedly agree with the frustration of things smelling better than they taste, particularly herbal tea. “Fruity” herbal teas are perhaps the biggest offender in my book. I always have to put in buckets of sugar to make up for the disappointment.
Also, I know that your brain is neither egg nor sludge like. Fact.
How do you know for a fact ’cause I’m not entirely convinced…
And yes, I want to know what a pleasantly bumpy Saturday night would be like.
I know because I’m actually incredibly clever.
And somehow, I think describing a bumpy Saturday night would be NSFW.
Oh dear…I feel your story idea may have clambered along the same lines as my (sludgy egg) brain this afternoon but I’m sure you can think of a “safe” version…?
But it has to be pleasantly bumpy, not just bumpy.
So many questions and intriguing points in this post! Can’t wait to see what comes next…
Thanks Peggy! I bet you’re most interested in the dessert…
*knows something they don’t*
I feel like the HOLDER OF SECRETS.
Teehee! Hold away, my dear! And when things settle, we shall catch up properly!
I hope this change is an awesome thing for you! Can’t wait to hear what it is
Thank you Kate! It’s not that exciting, really, but feels big to me
Big smooches. You’re a champ and kick ass in every way possible, even when crawling around in the dirt.
Every time you begin to doubt yourself and your abilities, just remember this: there’s a great market for mud wrestling.
Thank you Lizzi. You always have my best interests at heart. Of course, to mud wrestle I’d probably have to buy a bikini, and the thought of that terrifies me.
hahaha you’ve never seen Scriptures on a bus before?!
And I’m actually excited to see where the rest of your story goes! It takes a lot of courage to do cartwheels off the road while everyone else is walking straight ahead… even if you do fall sometimes!!!
Funnily enough I haven’t! Clearly I’ve been riding the wrong public transport
And thank you for your support 
What a beautifully written story, Hannah. I hope this new journey is indeed sunnier. We all get a little muddy sometimes. I am glad you have your lovely family to help keep you on track. Good luck!!
Heidi xo
p.s. your dessert…YUM!
Thank you Heidi! Maybe it’s like those metaphors about having to be sad to be happy… we have to get a bit muddy sometimes so that we know what it is to be clean?
Okay, that didn’t work. Oh well.
Very cryptic. Nice.
I think it is a blob of melting butter on a dessert-flavored turkey patty. Sorry, it just looks like ground up turkey to me.
Oh my heavens, eggs and hash and ground up turkey? What kind of crazy desserts do you people think I like to order?
I may have to explain what it is sooner than I thought…
Get it, girl! When things just don’t feel right, it’s wonderful (and brave) to just move on to the next adventure. You’ve got heaps of brains — that’s either a Little Women or Anne Shirley quote, I can’t remember — and you will succeed at whatever you choose!
Oh gosh, I can’t remember which book that comes from either! But suffice to esay any reference to Little Women or Anne (the latter in particular) is bound to make me smile. Thank you so much for your support, Lauren
(Ah, it was Philippa. I always liked that third book.)
Me too
I love ‘em all, actually. Though I’ve never read the ones about her kids…
I have a guys brain when it come to picking up hints, until they are obvious, I can never decode them. But anyways, I cannot wait to read your next post. Take care Hannah!
Teehee! You might have to wait a bit longer, as the next post is a chocolate review
Oh Hannah, I want so badly for there to be scriptures on the bus. The bus that goes from me to you (oh lordy I just typed bust instead of bus… I wonder if there are scriptures on the bust if there aren’t scriptures on the bus???)
I took a massive about face ~10 years ago when I escaped from my medical studies. It was one of the hardest decisions I’ve had to make, but ultimately also one of the easiest. You know when something is ultimately right or wrong for you, and when you make that huge leap, you know for sure you’ve made the right choice if the weight (the weight of a bus) is lifted off you.
Oh Conor, at first I felt sad that I didn’t read this comment yesterday and thereby wasn’t able to laugh away some of the stress, but then I remembered your amazing text and stopped feeling sad
Thank you so, so much for both parts of your comment. Words can’t express how much I feel like I’ve been hugged by a bus, reading it.
Intriguing Ms Hannah
I’m mighty proud of you for heading off in new directions, wherever it may bring you, but sounds like its a sunnier place so enjoy every step….. you know…. and smell the roses and all that good stuff.
Thank you Anna! I shall certainly be on the lookout for roses
sending lots of hugs because that is what you need when you fall down – glad your mum was there to help you up – hope it will all come out in the wash!
I have pondered your comments about making big decisions – take care of yourself and take a break from commenting if that will give you some space you need – of course I will miss your wonderful comments that always cheer me up but would not want you to burn out and stop blogging altogether – that would make me really sad!
Thank you Johanna! Amazingly enough, the stress of this week did come out in the wash – sparkly clean, in fact! I hope next week isn’t too muddy either
Thank you so much for your support, and your kindness about commenting. Blogging gives me so much happiness that I couldn’t bear to burn out either
I like that you’re cartwheeling off a bitumen road to a green hill, curious to know more. I would love some kind of positive major change, too.
I feel now is the time for a cheesy quote, like ‘be the change you wish to see in the world’
Good Luck and hope the new direction works out for you.
Surely the picture of the egg wasn’t pudding???
Hahaha! Oh dear heavens, you people have almost convinced me that that is an egg!
If this is related to your studies (and if it isn’t disregard)…I once was doing a PhD. A good three years into it, after going through an extended period of illness, I discountinued. It was a difficult decision involving much agnosing (first from family to go to university etc. etc. etc.). The weight of many people’s expectations and my own were on my shoulders. But I had to do what felt right for me. I haven’t looked back and life is good.
The thing that I’ve learnt over the years is that the most difficult thing is making the decision. Once you’ve made it and set yourself on a new course, it all becomes so much easier, lighter and brighter.
Best wishes.
Thank you thank you thank you thank you. Your words are like oxygen. xoxo
You’re welcome, and thanks for the message on my blog. I’m glad to have helped in a small way.
*hug*
I do love a mondegreen … and you laugh at mine! But, I’ve got you now missy!
Do I need to remind you of GOOSENECK SPEED?
What? Who? You talkin’ to me?
Hannah you know you have my full support in whatever you do. you know I think you’re an extraordinary lass so all I can say is I’m right behind you (well not literally, that just sounds terribly creepy)
*snorts with laughter* Oh Lorraine, you know I’d love to turn around and see you lurking behind me with a spatula and a cupcake in your hands
(P.S. Thank you
)
Sounds like your on the way to something big, different, scary, and thus likely highly worthwhile. I hope you’re okay, and I’m anxious to hear more details… Know that you always have my support as well!
Thank you so much. The support of a fellow Hannah is always invaluable
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