Carly Simon sang about it. Merriam-Webster lists a few definitions of it. The definitions that are most relevant in the context of this post are: (1) a prior action that takes into account or forestalls a later action; (2) the act of looking forward, especially pleasurable expectation; (3) visualization of a future event or state.
"Anticipation" is an accurate description of what my thoughts are consumed with recently. All of the definitions listed fit nicely into each of the areas of my life where I am anticipating something; these areas touch my work, my family and yes, my knitting.
Later this week, the new President/CEO of the organization where I work will start. While the most recent months without a CEO have been difficult, they have been somewhat predictable. Predictability is now replaced with anticipation, as I visualize her tenure with great optimism, as opposed to anxiety. Those feelings are based upon considering prior experiences where similar circumstances had positive outcomes, and extrapolating them into this one.
My fifteen year-old son is away at boarding school for the first time. He will be coming home for Spring break, his first trip home in seven months. I envision days and hours of happiness and enjoyment with him while he is home. Meanwhile, my thoughts are on how to make the week special. No doubt; I am looking forward to the week in April, with pleasurable expectation!
Before a knitting project is cast on, a lot of time is spent visualizing the finished project. It's an integral part of the creative process. Like all knitters, I see the pattern on someone else in a magazine, book or website, and then consider what it will look like on me or for whomever I am considering the project. I compare yarns; their color, fiber content, drape and weight. I look at the pattern schematics or measurements, as well as all the examples that I can find of the project on others. The anticipation of casting on that project overshadows all reasonable and unreasonable thoughts for hours; sometimes days. Yet, I never think too hard about how long the project will take to complete. I don't pay very much (enough) attention to the pattern details at this point, either. Instead, my mind is on one and only one thing; knitting that project. Forget reality. Forget responsibility. Forget time. Forget competing priorities. I am anticipating the finished object. Period.
