The Problem with UFOs

Let me set your mind at rest right away:  I am not gazing at the night sky waiting for little green men.  What I am staring at is a pile of incomplete projects:  UnFinished Objects.  Since I tend to fly happily from one thing to another, there are piles of lovely half-done ideas that have, admittedly,  languished from lack of attention.  

When I recently discovered not one but five incomplete quilts, I knew what I should do:  join a quilt guild.   There's nothing like working alongside other people with common goals to get you motivated and encouraged.  It seemed like a wonderful way to make new friends and to feel connected. 

It should have been a good idea.  Instead I learned a few things I hadn't expected.

1.)  I'm not certain which planet I'm from but it sure isn't this one!

The guild ladies have impressive quilt projects that require rotary cutters and sewing machines; I'm pottering about with a needle and thread.  They are creating designs to enter in competitions; I'm tackling odd old projects.They go on huge fabric shopping trips every month; I'm just trying to use up whatever I've already got.   

They discuss world travel, shiny new cars, the latest movies and TV shows; I haven't left town in a year, my car is a decade old, I haven't been to a movie theatre since the 1980's, and I don't have any TV service.  I like things like church, reading, recycling, container gardening, inventing simple recipes, and selling on eBay.  Common ground?  Can't find it.  

2.)  My planet plays nice; it's got sunshine and stuff.

The way I see it, artwork is personal; it's a reflection of what someone thinks and feels, so it's really criminal to steal the shining stars of inspiration from another person's eyes.  But I get the impression that the guild ladies don't quite agree since they've made comments on my quilt like, "That color makes me puke" and " You're gonna regret you made that."  I tell them how pretty and clever their quilts are.

3.)  Beam me up!

After attending six or seven meetings, it has finally dawned on me that I feel a little angry.  I am not less than the guild ladies are.  I am just very, very different.  My world is small, imperfect, sometimes difficult.  But I'm grateful for every day.

Maybe I should just stay landed on the comfort of my own little star; there's enough parking space for all my UFOs, and the natives here are friendly.  Daisy the cat likes my quilts just fine.