After arriving at the Starry Night coffee shop and settling into my favorite chair, I realized I’d forgotten my phone. I’ve done this now a couple times over the past two weeks. It was interesting (almost frightening) to observe how often I reached for that phone but more frightening at how often I thought about it. These two episodes have sent a loud message as to how attached I am to that small device, as if its tendrils are wrapped around me. I made it through the two hours without it, no one got hurt and I actually was able to spend more time in my journal. Out of curiosity, I checked when I got home with the Screen Time Report on my phone (be warned of what that report may tell you) and it told me I was staring at the screen for an average of 2 hours and 56 minutes last week. In a posture of justification, at least 40 minutes a day is attributed to my meditation timer but still… In my mind this tells me I spend 2 hours a day not present to the world around me. Pretty scary to realize how attached I am to that thing. It also asks the question, “How did we survive without them?” Thinking I need to write more about this. Anyway, hoping you have a great day, with or without your phone!
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Cities seem startling
When we live in silence and solitude of the land, cities seem startling.
John O’Donohue -
Entertaining a Thought
“It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.”
AristotleMy ability to dream and fantasize goes way back. I could create a whole world in my head and stay there for hours simply by saying, “let’s pretend,” even when that was subconscious. I believe it’s an essential part of our young lives but there is a point where we cease pretending and begin living in the reality of life. Some of us do that sooner than others. I put myself in the later category. I’ve become aware of when to entertain thoughts without accepting them and let them go. Progress, as they say. Having said that I still find myself entertaining a thought just as this young lady seems to be doing but not accepting it as reality. Hope you had a good Monday!
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A quote, a bit of snow and a scone
Love is not something we give or get; it is something that we nurture and grow, a connection that can only be cultivated between two people when it exists within each one of them – we can only love others as much as we love ourselves.
Brené BrownThis past weekend we had two days of 60 degrees and sunshine while this morning we have 24 degrees and two inches of snow. It’s still falling. However, it is a wet spring snow so plenty of much needed moisture with it.
I had coffee and conversation with David this morning at one of our favorite coffee shops. Of course with the snow and cold the scones were mandatory. David is from Copenhagen which is a bicycle friendly city and where cars have a much smaller footprint on people’s lifestyles. So as usual, David rode his bicycle to the shop.
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Hanging on
Some days the best we can do is just hang on.
We received about 5-6 inches from this storm this past Wednesday. Now we are in for several days of variable cloudy days, cold temperatures, low teens at night and not much above 32 degrees for our daily highs. The snow will stay around with those conditions. Hope you had a good week, enjoy your weekend and hang in there.
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A Look at Shadows
“The shadow is a moral problem that challenges the whole ego-personality, for no one can become conscious of the shadow without considerable moral effort. To become conscious of it involves recognizing the dark aspects of the personality as present and real. This act is the essential condition for any kind of self-knowledge.”
Carl JungThe sun shines brightly this morning casting shadows all around me. I watch the tree’s shadows stretching across the street outside the window of the coffee shop. Shadows fall upon these pages as I journal. And, on the wall next to me I see my ever present shadow. Quite handsome I must say. And, as with many photographers, shadows are a subject of interest for me. I share many images of shadows on this blog.
Additionally in my practice of self-examination along with prayer and meditation I’ve come to know those dark aspects of my personality as present and real, what Jung is referring to as our shadow side. Discovering the dark aspects of my shadow side reminds me of the enjoyable task of learning more about myself and eliminating or reducing those that are negative and harmful. I’m grateful for shadows as a subject to photograph but also because they remind me there is yet more to know about myself. Time to post this as the setting sun is casting long shadows across my front yard. The end of another day.
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My Reality of Life
This morning I noticed a young man in his early thirties strutting into the coffee shop1I am aware that I was immediately judgmental of him but this brought up some wonderful questions to ask myself and journal about it. His entrance was noticeable because of his tough guy walk. The demeanor offered a feeling of toughness, don’t mess with me attitude. Nor was I the only one who turned and noticed. As he ordered his drink it was then that I noticed he was packing a gun on his right side. So, the next time I see a police officer walk into a coffee shop wearing their weapons I’ll check to see if they have the same strut.
Anyway, this gave me some fodder for my journaling and also stirred this posting. What or who is he afraid of? Was his reality of life that foundationally scary and insecure? Did he feel the half dozen customers were possible enemies and that he needed to protect himself at any cost? I personally have never in my 20 some years of coffee shop life encountered a wild beast in a coffee shop. I have seen a dog or two. About the only life they could point a weapon at is another person.
My reality of life presents something different. Seems I have more fear, and am at a greater risk, from the driver who is trying to text message and drive at the same time than I do of being shot in a coffee shop. And, I also have more fear of politicians, corporate executives, and the wealthy who will do anything to attain more money, power and control due to the fear they will lose what they have or not attain what they want. And, in all honesty, I have a fear of the person packing the gun and how they will use the weapon under a stressful situation, will they use it with reactionary fear.
To end this post I must say we have no idea of the life experiences, the physical, sexual, verbal, emotional abuse and violence, others have had in life that presents their reality of life as threatening. So in my journaling and writing of this post I find gratitude for the life I have lived, the safety and security my family and community gave me and continue to give me and the innate goodness I see in this world. Reaffirms my belief that packing a gun will not prevent violence or put an end to violence and damn sure it will not bring peace.