Setting the gnomes loose

It's 2:18am on a Tuesday morning and something is in the air.  At first I thought it was the heartburn from too many a margarita, but then a series of odd visuals began flashing through my head like those old carousel slide projectors.  Perfect moments from the last 2 months that appear to just reflect the forward march of time.  Yet, in hindsight they almost seem...serendipitous.


Is there a better word than serendipity?  Thanks to my good friends at Wikipedia I learned, "the word derives from Serendip the Persian name for Sri Lanka".  "...and was coined by Horace Walpole in a letter he wrote, It was once when I read a silly fairy tale, called the Three Princes of Serendip:  as their highnesses traveled, they were always making discoveries by accidents and sagacity, of things which they were not in quest of.."   Made me stop and pause for a moment.  Things they were not in quest of....  Could it be that the highnesses just did not realize what they were truly seeking?


I heart...

• Gnomes
• My family & friends
• A perfect cocktail
• The alterations lady at Nordstrom who looked me in the eye and told me I looked beautiful in my new swimsuit.
• Laughing so hard that I snort and don't care
• The perfect hug---a real hug, the kind that someone truly folds their arms around you and pauses for a moment
• A mentor-- who in one quick gaze at your face in passing knows something isn't right---and takes time to listen
• My P90x workout--and the fact I can't raise my arms above my head to blow dry my hair
• A wife who patiently listens to the roller coaster ride of emotions and stories about my grand quest
• My HS classmate who asked me what would happen if I set the gnomes loose (#35 on The List)

My wife and I received the gift of 'Nomar the Gnome' about 5 years ago from my 2nd Dad--we'll call him Mr. M.  That's Nomar in the photo.  Nomar has been a very active member of our family.  You can usually find him tucked in bed with his head on the pillow, waiting to greet the most recent returning traveling.  Or accompanying us on special events, like milestone birthday parties (which is where he acquired that large crack in his head when I kicked him after a few too many beverages--i also heart super glue).  At the time I received Nomar I didn't know how much I would come to love gnomes and how much they symbolized perfect moments....and home.

A couple of months ago I crossed #1 off my list and put the most beautiful piece of artwork on my body.  At the heart of my tattoo is the compass rose, which ancient sailors used to guide them home.  So tonight, as I reflect on all of the serendipitous moments, could it be that like the highnesses from that silly fairy tale, I had discovered things that were not part of my quest?  Or, better yet, is it that I didn't know what I was truly seeking?  

I am setting the gnomes loose....   I think I am coming home.