Is Being Random Wrong?

RANDOM – adjective: proceeding, made, or occurring without definite aim, reason, or pattern.

 Patchwork Quilt in Random Pattern : sewfunbymonique

Most of my life has been fairly orderly.  I have pretty much always done things in the 'correct' order.  I haven't often strayed off lifes path to explore what lies in the haze either side.  In fact, I am well known for being organised and everything having a purpose, goal or aim.

Recently I was asked in a market application if I considered my creative process and indeed my items to be part of a 'range' or was I 'random'?  My immediate response was 'Of course I have a range - there has to be order or my business won't grow'.  Then I started to ponder my answer.  Was I as organised as I thought I was?  Was this a business I was trying to build or was I fanning a passion?  Was I actually RANDOM?

I took stock of my life to try and see if I had perhaps had past moments of randomness.  Were there times when the ability to be random had slipped in.  I reveiewed my life and this is what I found (green = random):

1) Born

2) Started and completed Primary School (same school for 7 years)

3) Started and completed High School (same school for 6 yars, occasional award, happy camper)

4) Commenced first full time job before finishing HSC exams

5) Awarded HSC

6) Retrenched (1)

7) Commenced Traineeship

8) Diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes

9) Started working for Bank

10) Fell in love at first sight with fellow Bank Officer

11) Got engaged

12) Moved out with Fiance

13) Got married

14) Bought house

15) Retrenched (2)

16) Baby one born

17) Sold house, bought renovation project in nicer street

18) Retrenched (3)

19) Baby 2 born

20) Back to work

21) Became ill

22) Retrenched (4) (nothing to do with 21)

23) Stopped wearing watch, stopped writing lists, stopped worrying quite so much, started to sew, started to smile, started to get fit, started to enjoy family...

24) Who knows!!!!!!!!!!

I realised that being random had certainly visited me on the odd occasion, but it wasn't until number 23 that I took resposibility for being random.  I now glory in my ability to change my mind at a moment's notice, to not have to have all of the washing put away by 5:30pm Sunday afternoon.  It doesn't matter if I don't do everything as quickly as I originally wanted or the way in which I oringinally wanted.  Life has become fun.

For the first time in 42 years I have stopped wearing a watch - can I tell you how liberating that is?  I still have to know when to pick the kids up from school - but even if I'm a couple of minutes late, now they know I'm just caught up in my sewing - I'm not caught up in traffic.

Am I RANDOM - yes I am.  Am  I without purpose - no I'm not.  I now just enjoy living the time I have with the family I love, in whatever way is best (no lists!).

So what are you?  Do you allow yourself to be RANDOM?

Cheers!