Mind the Gap: My Anti-Gap Message to Myself and You

I was thinking about how sometimes gaps just suddenly appear.  They grow larger and more daunting if not "minded".  I remembered the signs of London about minding the gap between the underground platform and the train doors.  Many accidental tumbles involving people not paying attention as they crossed the gap to board the train.  Mind the gap became ubiquitous in the tubes of London.

This all came to mind as I realized another gap had appeared between me and my creative flow.  I had allowed a week to go by without a word of blog.  It was especially noticeable after an almost complete month of daily thoughts and musings.  June was a good blog month for me with very few missed days.  Then  I caught cold which developed into bronchitis complicated by the stressors of keeping up with obligations and commitments I probably should not have made.  Does stress lead to gaps in mental health and personal well-being?  What do you think?

I googled for "mind the gap" signs, like the one below, to use for this blog when I found this emblematic ad sign developed by a British graphic company Johnson Banks.   It might be worth a read to go to http://johnsonbanks.co.uk/thoughts/mind-the-gap to read about their campaign and the meaning behind the sign.  

For me, though, it sort of brought into focus what had happened to me.  Be-bopping along, having a good old time being my creative self when out of the blue, a gap appeared and it all blank.  Its kinda like when you read the line in the sign above and stumble at the gap.  Gap happens.

Anyway, I picked myself up with the help of my friend, Dave, and went down to Riverside Arts Walk.  There were exhibits opening at the art museum and at the community arts association.  They were both great.  I really felt my inner artist wake up just looking at the various works of art by local artists.  I realized that as a member of both of these organizations, I could have entered something.  Iyeee!  Me, a creative who, once again, had fallen into a artistic/ writer's gap.  Mind that if you will.

But gaps can be leapt over or a bridge built or a helicopter hired to fly over.  And so here it is, my anti-gap blog or how I found a rope ladder and climbed across.  Its just a matter of minding the gap and not deciding to live there!

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