The Healing

Anne’s Artistic Honda Civic 1997

There are several specific things that you can do in this life to help yourself heal from trauma or other things that happen to us in this life. 1) Pray about it, thanking your God or Spiritual Being for the experience. 2) Meditate about it, understanding that life’s challenges are important for us because without them, we could never learn compassion for others. We would also not have such a meaningful journey in life because it is the challenges that help us to appreciate the beauty that exists in the world. A life that is totally flat and without challenges is like living in a land without valleys and mountains. 3) Create, create, create. No matter how bad I might feel at any given time, creating is always something that gives me a true sense of magic, spirituality and gratitude for this life with which I have been gifted.

Doesn’t this car make you feel happy?


Creativity comes from the innermost part of our souls, whether we are dancing with joy or our eyes have cried forth many tears.

Anne’s Car, Driver’s Side

Life is so short, and I think one of the reasons we are here is to work on “getting it right.” That means that we come to terms with where we are, who we are, and what we choose to do with our lives. You can take whatever you do in this life, from being a cook in a fast food shop to being an airline pilot and everything in between. If you are a cook, know that you are doing it because you are comfortable with it, and become the best cook you can possibly be. If you are working as a cook and are not happy, what do you need to do in order to change that? It isn’t just a matter of going out and finding another job. You need to figure out who you are and what you really want to do in this life.

Anne’s Car Roof

I’ve never been wealthy; far from it. I have worked hard all my life for a little. But the whole time I ever worked once I grew up was spent doing things I wanted to do, things I believed in most sincerely, which was about serving others in ways that might make a difference in their lives, and doing things that I loved so much that I looked forward to going to every day. Money was always secondary for me to providing services to others, especially anyone with physical, developmental, emotional or other challenges.

At the end of the Vietnam War, my younger brother returned 100% physically and mentally challenged. It gave me the heart to help others the rest of my life who have had any kind of challenges. I don’t regret a single second of my work with others. It has been as satisfying as watching one of my most gorgeous flowers come into bloom.

Anne’s Car – Imagine That!

It has been a good journey. I am not saying it has not been a challenge, but isn’t anything worth doing a challenge? And you know, when we change, an interesting phenomena takes place. Other people do too. When this 22-year old car (as of 2018) was still in its original form, people treated me as if I should get out of their way and get off the road. The transformation was amazing. People on the freeways and roads gave me the peace sign or thumbs up or high fives. And when I stopped in a parking lot, people came up to me and wanted to take photos, and wanted to know the story of the car. And I made a LOT of friends over the years that way.

Make someone or a bunch of people happy today. Sometimes it can be as simple as smiling at them and saying “Hello,” or you could do a random act of kindness such as going into an old people’s home and taking a bouquet for the people who live there. Or you could thank a police person, fire person, nurse or doctor for doing what they do. True, it is what they have chosen to do, but many times they work when we are asleep or having a holiday, and they sometimes risk their own lives to do it. Creativity doesn’t have a specific face.

18 thoughts on “The Healing

    1. Hi Laura, It isn’t painted; it is collaged with fabric. It was painted a tiny bit on lettering, etc., but most of it is collaged with a gel I can’t remember the name of at the moment. Then after it all dried, I overcoated it with three coats of polyurethane. It took me perhaps 3 months, but I didn’t work all day every day. I went out on the peninsula in San Pedro, CA, and worked at the edge of a drop under a huge Eucalyptus tree overlooking the ocean. I would work on it until the wind would come up every afternoon around 1 PM or 2 PM. Then I would quit for the day. I took my lunch with me and my dogs, and they would get out for awhile on their leashes and run around for a bit and then go back in the car with the windows partway down and go to sleep. When we got back in the early evening, they would have their supper, and I would have something too.

      Liked by 2 people

      1. Collaged with fabric is even better…talk about fiber art. Wow. How long has it lasted after a time of regular car-use and exposure to weather, grit, grime? Did you do any type of art maintenance on it? Is it still traveling the roads?
        This is fantastic!

        Liked by 2 people

      2. I can imagine it is healing. Are you still looking for a new car to do up? This is absolutely amazing!!!! I’m glad for the friends you got to meet along the way and all the people you must’ve inspired with it.

        Liked by 1 person

  1. Wow Ann,
    Lovely to see you again and hope you are well. What synchronicity as I have a 19 year old red Honda Civic sport that, apart from sensitive undercarriage, is still in good nick yet.
    The car’s journey is perhaps worth a blog post and the silver one before it which I didn’t keep as long for that matter. Watch out for my painted Honda!

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Hi ladies, Oh, that is wonderful about the Honda Civic Sport and I too wish everyone well. Oh, that brings back happy memories, for mine was red too once. Well, the car lasted without any carport or garage when I finished it in 2011, right up through when I sold it, though it was not at all bright or beautiful anymore in 2018. I would say it stayed bright for nearly 5 years. It lived up in the snow in Big Bear, and then when I came down to Calimesa, when at last I did have a carport for it. It was funny about the sale. Out of nowhere came this young couple and the young lady had a baby, but he was her brother and he was trying to get a car for her and the baby. I did not have the car up for sale, and they lived in another town, but they happened to drive through our park and saw the car and thought it was amazing. So they asked me how much I would take for it. I felt sorry for them so I said $500 for it still ran good though by then the fabric had faded some. But I will tell you that the children at school always loved it and would come happily out in the school yard yelling, “It’s Miss Annie!”, even the juvenile delinquents I worked with sometimes. So many happy memories!

      Liked by 3 people

      1. Hadn’t thought about carport/garage. Mine hasn’t been housed in a garage overnight since moving house in 2003, wow. Thanks for the reminder as 2003 was a milestone on my journey also Ann. 🙂

        Liked by 2 people

      2. P.s., just remembered red Honda integra I had before that. Headlights were concealed and when switched on they used to flip open. The 3 year old in a family with learning difficulties I used to visit insisted I switch my lights on before I left the home so that the little boy could watch the lights. It was Abit like a party trick. The family were vulnerable and adorable.

        Liked by 2 people

    1. Thank you kindly, Len. I guess when I have one. I ultimately sold the car, and now would love to have one to work on again. I would love to have a VW Vanagon (older one of course) or an older Honda Civic Hatchback. My first car of that type also lasted some 20 years or so before I needed something else. I have never bought a new car. I likely could have at one point, but I really like getting used cars. There is something very comfortable about them, and it makes me feel good. Thank you again for your kindness.

      Liked by 2 people

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