Tag Archives: introspection

r e s t

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Every trip we have taken to a different locale far away from our familiar territory is a pause in Life’s normalcy. Some trips are exciting and invigorating while a few may be endurance travels, but the thing to remember is that we are removed from our comfort zone.

Recently, we visited a tropical country with jungles, exotic wildlife, oceans and beaches, and a very different standard of day-to-day living. Such a vacation was enjoyable and educational, and at the same time humbling as we are reminded once again how blessed we are to live freely, safely, having our needs met (and so much more than we really need to live a full life).

Not all vacations are continually restful nor peaceful, but they do allow us to pause and hopefully return a bit refreshed-after recovering from the traveling aspect of distant destinations! Moving to a different city or country can result in the same feelings after the settling-in process is completed. I wonder at times what it is that prompts me to explore places not yet seen or even known to me until research has revealed them. I suspect, like many of you, that I seek a bit of adventure, enlightenment, engagement, challenge and rest. Upon my return from some idyllic destination, I seem to be more energized, wanting to repeat the trip in the future. However, there have been a few vacations and trips which taught me a great deal more about myself but which I have no desire to repeat. This is to be expected simply because the ups and downs of vacations and trips mimic our daily lives. Few of us ascend to a bucolic alpine meadow and remain there indefinitely.

Rest can be elusive and even uncomfortable, especially for us ‘doers’ whom always need something to focus on in order to be distracted from the unpleasantries of our trials and failures. Boredom has become a neglected part of our lives and seems to negatively affect our psyches, especially in our energized world of instantaneous gratification. But I am learning that to be bored has its’ advantages, forcing us to put the smart phone and computer down, turn off the news and so-called influencers, and simply pause and imagine this life we have been given to experience. And, what we have to offer in return.

I recently came across this devotion from John Ruskin which speaks of musical ‘rests’ and how we perceive similar pauses in our daily journeys. I find his analogy sublime.

There is no music during a musical rest, but the rest is part of the making of the music. In the melody of our life the music is separated here and there by rests. During those rests, we foolishly believe we have come to the end of the song. God sends us times of leisure by allowing sickness, disappointed plans, and frustrated efforts. He brings a sudden pause in the choral hymn of our lives, and we lament that our voices must be silent. We grieve that our part is missing in the music that continually rises to the ear of our Creator. Yet, how does a musician read the rest? He counts the break with unwavering precision and plays his next note with confidence, as if no pause were ever there.

C A D E N C E

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Summertime creates an outdoor atmosphere where all manner of sounds are generated during each twenty-four hour period. I have been reminded frequently, and lately, of the myriad natural sounds which enter through my ears and resonate inside my being.

Sitting on our deck, we hear the drone-like humming of hummingbird wings as they arrive at our feeder to drink their liquid energy. Cicadas chant their daily mantra like a wind-up music box…sometimes so loudly that we have to vacate the deck chairs for the couch. Crows squawk irregularly, but when they do it’s like listening to neighbors having an outdoor party-complete with arguments!

Birds chirp and sing. Hawks screech as they glide across the sky. Squirrels make unusual noises among their specific communities. Coyotes and bobcats make their presence known nocturnally via howls and hoots. Leaves rustle in unison like magic flutes as the invisible wind whips past them.

These daily and nightly noises are like an orchestra’s cacophony of sounds as the musicians tune their instruments immediately prior to the performance. Audible chaos turns into a symbiotic union of beauty. How Beethoven continued to create musical masterpieces as his deafness increased daily is beyond my comprehension.

I submit that nature’s sounds may seem like that of a human orchestra tuning their instruments, but with one exception. Nature’s instruments are pre-tuned. They’re also pre-programmed. Together, nature creates the perfect cadence of sounds. This auditory resonance can be tuned-in or tuned-out depending on whatever is grabbing our attention at a specific time and place. Similar to a practicing pianist whose instructor uses a metronome for tempo adherence, so, too, the natural sounds we hear have their own steadying affect.

Obviously, this post isn’t about high-quality photographic images, but leans more towards introspection, of sounds, of life’s drumbeats, and of their place in our well-being. I submit that what we listen to (hear) is just as important as what we see, smell or taste. Anyone who has spent time at an oceanside beach and listened to the waves reach and retreat from the shore must admit there is a calming effect to this rhythmic dynamic. The same is true for listening to water flowing down a mountain brook or bubbling in a fountain.

Would it be presumptuous of me to suggest that each of us could benefit from receiving some type of calming cadence in our daily life? Even if it’s only for a few minutes? With so many distractions and noises bombarding us constantly, I know I need this momentary peace to reset my inner metronome. Can you sense that I’m aging? Rhetorical question for sure!

Monochromatic by Nature

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Well, almost monochromatic, but close. “Where have all the people gone?”  So goes the 1970’s song sung by Joni Mitchell. It is a question that had serious implications (given all of the issues at stake in America and the unrest at that juncture of time).

I looked out my sliding glass door after a light snow, and this is what I found. It was peaceful, and oh, so white. However, as often comes to mind are partial lyrics of days gone by…this happens quite often.

So, I study the Adirondack chairs. And, I study them a bit longer. I wonder where have I gone? What has happened to my life? I feel uncomfortable. But, to not question is an affront to introspection and character. Somehow, I must determine the reasons as to why I feel this way.

Can anyone relate? Lots of questions. So few answers in and of myself. There is One who has all the answers. As I study scripture, I am drawn to conclude, as did James, the brother of Jesus, that “Life is but a mist that appears for a little while and vanishes away”. If that is true then who am I to go through life without considering what is next?

I often look to the future, but of almost equal importance, I look at here and now. I wish I could change many of my past behaviors and consequences, but I cannot. Nor can anyone else. Regrets? Yes. Defeat? No. Healing? Yes, but it takes time. May we all be patient. Don’t forget the power of hope. And, dream in color !

 

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