Reading blogs one morning recently I was reminded of several things, a nice ramble.
One night about 13 years ago, I forgot to set my alarm clock. I had used a clock radio since my parents bought me one as a christmas gift when I was about 10 years old. I awoke the next morning with a start, concerned that I was not alarmed to start the day. Then I realized that I was not late, just shocked by the change. The next day, I didn't have anything early on my calendar, so I didn't set the alarm, and found that I woke up in plenty of time, and more relaxed, better rested. Over the years I have heard motivational speakers talk about it being an "opportunity clock" trying to convince us that being unnaturally jolted awake is somehow a good way to start the day. It isn't. It is how we are conditioned to live. And You can undo that. Only rarely, maybe a couple of times a year do I set an alarm, usually because I have an unreasonably early airline flight. 13 years, I have been late to work maybe twice because I overslept. And I wake up naturally, often with the rising sun. Try it, maybe you will like it.
Another blog (one of my favorites but it might be impolite to show favoritism) asked about acts of kindness. I had a recent example, of overlooking anger and focussing on solving the core issue. Sometimes we need to turn the other cheek and search for common ground. This was not a random act of kindness, it was intentional to defuse a tense situation, and get the two of us back headed toward the light of day.
Another blog posted about bird feeders. Living in a high rise, a bird feeder is against the rules as the detritus drops on the neighbors below. But over the past two years I have become much more aware of birds. When I walk, even in the tree outside my bedroom window. I have overcome my unnatural fear of flighted fowl. No idea where that fear came from, probably watching "The Birds" late at night as a child. As I sit here watching the rising sun, the doves are in the tree, doing what birds do.
One recent Mural Monday there was a post of a painting of a watch that has no hands and simply says "Now." It is a line from a Jimmy Buffett song, "I bought a watch from the crazy man, it has no hands, it just says now, and it is always right." The past is past, and can't be changed, I make plans for the future, but I see too many people make plans for a future that will never happen, when what we really need to do is live in the now. If the sun rises for you today, that is when you have to live.
Another of my favorite daily reads posted a series this week about a wonderful house and garden, a couple of acres of garden, a large comfortable house. It is the kind of house and garden that I couldn't take care of alone, if I lived there I would need a few of the mistresses houseboys and a couple of farmhands. I don't usually buy lottery tickets, but it can be fun to think what would I do if I suddenly had all of the money in the world. I usually sleep easily, if I don't it is usually because I need to divert my mind from the day to day decisions. One way of doing that for me is to think about what would I do if I won the lottery. Over the years I have come the conclusion, that I don't want the big house, the big boat, the farm. They are too much work, and employing the people to operate and maintain them would take much of the joy out of life. I want to be able to watch the sun rise without worrying if Bob is going to show up for work to trim the trees today. Maybe this is a sign that I am largely content with what I have, and were I am in life. And that is a good thing.
We went out to Mt Vernon last week for a nice walk. The photo above was taken there. Great light.
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