How did that saying go again? "Life is a mystery, it has to be lived, not understood".
The older I become the less I understand people. Not that I don't understand them but rather that I don't understand their lack of understanding. So much is given to us everyday via radio, TV, and the Internet, not to mention the volumes of books, discs and CD's. How can we not be aware every minute of every day. What is it that makes us so dense in our determination not to absorb knowledge?
Perhaps we are retreating from the tidal wave of technology that has numbed and neutered us; the over stimulation which has brought us to this precipice then threatens to dash us against the rocks and steal our souls.
I for one have begun a retreat. Finding that all the promises of this techno perfection have only further enslaved me I decided to take a break and breathe deeply again. Maybe the simple silence that comes with this self awareness just might be the ticket. Several times in life I have found myself at similar junctures and each time it has been the "self centering" that has saved the day.
Last evening I hosted a dinner party for a few good friends. It had been quite a while since I endeavored to attempt this feat. After two days of preparation; shopping, chopping, cleaning and decorating the hour approached. A warm and wonderful evening transpired as we all sipped and slipped into another era. Conversation replaced texting for a time and dining on porcelain plates with sterling service replaced the usual "grab and run" frenzy of the over worked day. A long and leisurely night of "one on one" human communication was had by all. The evening glistened into the wee hours and finally two by two my guests set out into the winters night. I was left with a kitchen full the left overs of a fabulous feast and the glow of contentment that comes with such a successful event. But more than that was the realization that time can be stopped and even turned back if we really wish to do so. We can and should recapture moments that make us content and comfortable in our skins. Isn't that who and what we are?
So as the new year approaches and expectations accelerate, this may be the perfect time to step back a little and let ourselves enjoy at least a moment of contentment with that which we have or can have; enjoy our time in this moment and moments of past pleasures. After all tomorrow, as Annie once said, "is only a day away" ...
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