Clement Park at dusk: Photo by Noelle
I most certainly have a hole in me pocket. Every day I am full of time, but before I know it half of it is gone out a hole in me pocket. I stitch the blasted thing up, but the next afternoon I find myself in the same straits. Too much to do and not enough time to do it in. For someone who praises peace and breathing room this damn hole is most bothersome indeed.
It seems no small irony that all of our technological advances were intended to give us time and yet I feel more robbed by them every day. I was reading an article about the Greek isle of Ikaria. The New York Times dubbed it the place where people forget to die. They have an extraordinary number of octogenarians. They say their lifestyle hasn’t changed in a hundred years. They walk everywhere and garden. They remain connected to their faith and dine on fresh food and good wine. They never hurry. They sit in the sun without sunblock. They laugh a lot. This story plays itself out in Okinawa, Japan, too. People bike and carry their own groceries, and eat fresh food each day. They stay connected to their passions and talents. They breathe slower and speak less of troubles.
Autumn Leaf: Photo by Noelle
John Muir wrote in 1912, “Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul alike.” I wonder how such a man as this was not the most guiding force in our country’s evolution? How did we get money and busyness confused with the acquisition of peace and contentment?
There is a deep lesson here I don’t want to forget. Something that moves me about laughter and sitting in the sun. How much do I really need to get done everyday? Who is cracking this whip? What would happen if I planted something and sang to it, rather than worried about what was on my schedule? What would happen if I consciously found ways to step outside the machine?
I feel I might find others and there would be wine with some good cheese, time spent gazing at the horizon, all enjoyed after a lovely, scenic bike ride. I think this might be true. I think there are others like me wanting to feel dirt on the bottom of their feet.
Bike trail, Ken Caryl: Photo by Noelle
Meditation Travelogue 
Count me in.
xo
I’ve got the chaise lounges decked out with cushions and little umbrellas on the bar in case we need them!
with watch in pocket
time safely hidden away,
i think you are right
about others
supporting your
joy & relaxation 🙂
Oh does this ring true after running around all week trying to get a couple tasks done that were complex! Keeping the balance in one’s life seems to be a continuing challenge if you are “involved” in groups. Hmmm. Think I will go for a walk in the park right now. Care to join me?
Very lovely Noelle, and I feel certain there are many of a similar mind who reject the cultural paradigm and narrative of cupidity, status-seeking, and self-centricity. With all best wishes and many thanks, Hariod.
I agree, Hariod, I think there are a lot of us out here who aren’t rejecting evolution and technology, we’d just like it to include a little more simplicity and slowness and quiet, I think.
This is so recognizable. Even for a retired teacher like me, who is no longer ruled by the bell. A wise lesson. Thank you, my friend.
I have many retired friends whose schedules are busier than mine. A relinquishing of work is no guaranteed safeguard to a quieter life!
I will be there spreading my toes in the mud with you as the sun merges with the horizon and the crickets sing their song.
I’ll bring some chocolate!
Cool, I’ll get the wine and we’ll be all sorted ^-^
Indeed!!
I’ve been feeling somewhat the same of late, Noelle. Perhaps for different reasons, though I’m not certain. The desire to express and create can sometimes produce a similar tension in me– like I want to relax and just watch the clouds go by, but I also have this inner furnace of inspiration bubbling away. I wouldn’t have this particular tension any other way. Part of this being alive thing seems to include this creative pull, this attraction over great distances that won’t leave us alone, that makes our quiet encounters with the natural world all the more meaningful because they are filled with voices…
Peace
Michael
Yes, Michael it’s a tension point. Striking the right balance between being creative and expressing your particular talents and kicking back and relaxing. Carol Tuttle who seems to be the newest on the self-help front does workshops for MindValley. I was listening to a recent master class that was the prelude to a workshop she was doing. She has brilliant ideas but in the master class she sounded strained and just over selling the course. I felt tired for her. When we are pushing to sell our work so heavily that it loses it’s joy we’ve become lost. I think about this a lot. I want my book to sell, but I don’t want to lose my peace, trying to sell my book that’s about peace. Mindfulness, in the end, really is the key. Being mindful of your own inner ebbs and flows. That may be my mantra for the year!!
I hope you find those ways to step outside the machine, and I’ll be glad to be one of the many encouraging you to do so!
If you think about it, friendships are the main reason almost all of us stop for a bit and let go. Time with someone who will make us laugh. I want to nurture many of those relationships this year. People who remind me to step outside myself and laugh.