Jocelyn Curry

Cappuccino, Venice, Italy

Dear Reader,

I have coffee at two times most days. The first cup is sipped shortly after I get up. The second is usually in the form of a beautiful latté brewed later in the day by my own personal barista: my husband Rick. Over Coffee, thoughts written while drinking either the first or second cup, will be a weekly feature here on Curry Powder. A drawing of a coffee cup taken from one of my travel journals will accompany each post.

I've never been one to make New Year's resolutions. The concept doesn't have a lot of pull for me. That's why I find it curious that now that I face the end of 2012 and the beginning of 2013, I am feeling philosophical about self-betterment.

First, let me say what inspired me to begin this new series, Over Coffee. Last week, Rick told me that two people in his circle regularly looked at my sites and wrote to him that they were disappointed that I have slowed down my posts to about one per month. This struck me. This moved me to want to post more often. I don't specifically know what these people would like to see or read. Art? My musings? Travelogues? Chicken stories? I won't ask them, but I will oblige their interest in my posts by posting more often, and gratefully so. To have my online contributions valued, and anticipated, is a gift and a reward.

Let me step back yet another week. While working on a project here in my studio, a news review of 2012 was being broadcast on TV. When the portion of the review started playing that featured the notable people who have died in 2012, I stopped working and watched. A stream of performers, artists, news people, politicians and athletes flowed by in a moving memorial. I was struck. I was moved by the evidence of each one's dedication to their life's work. They excelled, they contributed, they entertained; they enriched and bettered the lives of us who co-lived on the planet with them. It takes a lot of work to excel at anything. To make life better for others is a worthy goal for anyone in any vocation. 

As I approach January 1, 2013, I feel inspired. Not to keep resolutions, but to be mindful of excellence in what I do. In everything I do. It was inspiring to me that my posts meant something to two people who are not directly in my circle of friends and family. This means that my posts may mean something to others, too. Unbeknownst to me, they might better someone's life. I will proceed on this presumption. In my rôles as mother, wife, and grandmother, I want to do the very lovingly best I can. As a teacher, I will bring to the job all that I can to meet the needs of each student. As an artist, I will work hard, and I will be innovative. Once, I read that one of the supreme obligations an artist holds is to generously put forth their artwork, almost as though it really did not belong to her or him. I was struck by this, and have never forgotten it.

Thank you for reading this column, my first Over Coffee. I personally wish you a fulfilling and healthy and excellent New Year in all that you give yourself to in 2013.