Time to (try to) Be a Grown-Up

This is another sheepish entry.
Life has been very busy lately, but that's no excuse for my absence! I'm feeling the need to slow down a bit for the next couple of days. I've been running at fever pitch for the last week or so, traveling, working late, and not getting to the things I need to - for both my practical and creative sanity.
I've been letting things get away from me, which I guess is normal for someone whose life has become filled with work and other diversions. At the same time, I feel as if I'm losing track of some important parts of my life - like writing, appreciating more about New York, and taking some time to be more responsible. These are lessons to be learned, but I get the impression I'm walking a line between being too easy and hard on myself about not confronting them head-on.
So, this weekend, I have decided to take a three-pronged approach. Sunday will be my no-excuses 9-5 writing day, and Saturday (after spending some time formulating - cringe- a much tighter monthly budget for myself) I will brave the crowds at the Met to see the Matisse exhibit. He's a favorite, and I haven't been to a museum in ages. Plus, while that exhibit will definitely be mobbed, the great thing about the Met is it's so huge you can always find space to yourself.
A few months ago, before it got too hot to be outside for more than 15 minutes at a time, I was reading a Russian novel in Central Park - The Idiot by Dostoevsky, which is heavy on the Christ-like themes and imagery. There was a somewhat disheveled man sitting on the bench next to me, drinking coffee and giving me strange sideways glances. When this went on past a comfortable amount of time, I was about to switch benches when he started to talk to me, asking about what I was reading. Oh boy, I thought, I don't need to talk Russian literature with some guy with a serial killer haircut. As it turns out, this man had been a docent at the Met for 10 years, and, given the nature of what I was reading, started chatting me up about his favorite paintings depicting the Crucifixion that were on display in the museum. He even pulled a little crumpled map of the Met out of his blazer pocket and circled the gallery where his favorite painting, The Crucifixion of Saint Sebastian, is hung. I was completely surprised by this man, as happens in New York from time to time, and felt grateful for being proven wrong about him.
So, in between tightening my belt, trying to spark some creativity, and searching for a second income, I'm going to dig for that map and go see Saint Sebastian and Matisse this weekend. My life has been so insular lately, so I'm looking forward to marveling at something much greater.