Welcome to The Puzzled Life
The Puzzled Life is a work in progress that has sprung from the roots of family life and accumulated experiences along the way. As a child, I felt most at home when beading or working on jigsaw puzzles. My parents would drag us through antique shops, my mother an avid collector and my father a woodworker. They made a bench out of a sleigh seat and a table out of a cupola. They scoured the shops for hidden treasures. At the time, I thought all this was a big bore, not realizing the impact it was having on my own developing interests.
I was fortunate enough to have parents who just assumed their kids would go on to university. I really didn't realize there were other options. After finishing a BA in psychology, I wasn't sure what I would do until one day I happened upon a drunk guy falling into the street. I was walking home with a date at the time. I guess it was serendipity that it was not a compelling date, because I decided to assist the drunk man in finding the nearby detox center and ultimately launched a career for myself.
The detox center was a curious, lovely place. I had tried to convince the drunk man that nothing would be open at this time of night but he assured me that it was. We wandered together up the street and came upon a brick building where a friendly guy opened the door, welcoming the man in and thanking me for my assistance. A second happenstance occurred within a week when an ad for a job at the detox center appeared. I loved that job. The staff was a cast of characters, the clients were a cast of characters. Beautiful misfits. I found 'home'.
The Puzzled Life is about finding those environments that feel like 'home' and finding things to do that are compelling to you. I like to pick up rusty metal off the ground, shiny it up, and turn it into art. For my day job, I work with people who live in poverty. They also survey the land for shiny things, cans and bottles to turn in for money to get through another day. We come together at mental health sessions. Wanderers seeking potential.