Just a moment. I grabbed it, quick, before it slipped away. Halfway between the kitchen and my office. Empty space. Vertigo. I could go shopping, get some action in. Quick remedy for transient un-ease. No. It doesn’t work any more. A vision of sisters moving amidst racks of clothes. And my heart sinks. The absence of substance is not that bad. After all.
Do you have such moments?
La Marguerite 
Never.
I have all sorts of “moments.”
Sometimes, when I finish with one thing and I feel the need to figure out what to do next, and there is SO MUCH to do!, I feel like I MUST do SOMETHING, no breaks allowed. The trick is sorting out the meaningful stuff from the “busy-ness”, and I’m not always very good at that. It’s as if the meaningful stuff only whispers to me, or waits in silence for me to notice it on my own, even as many of the “busy-ness” things seem to shout for immediate attention, like neon signs. I think there is a big correlation between “busy-ness” and “stuff” (including products that we don’t need). Reducing “stuff” and “busy-ness”, and preserving the environment and time, probably go hand-in-hand.
And then there is, sometimes, the slight feeling of “guilt” when one actually takes a break. But, I’ve found that my best thinking and ideas usually come when I’m on some sort of break.
And yes, there are those times when my gut wants me to go out and look at things and perhaps buy some. My weak spots are mainly books and music, sometimes art, sometimes hardware stuff. Oh and electronic gadgets, but only necessary ones (of course), like a digital camera. Oh and some travel. Oh and an occasional fun event, like an Eric Clapton concert or something.
As someone said, it’s a process.
Agree with you Jeff, that addiction to doing, and resulting lack of time and centered-ness, are also big contributors to problem.
I have written about this before. My belief is we are all trying to run away from void, and lack of meaning that permeates our civilization. Global warming is a natural symptom of this much larger problem.
Marguerite, I agree with you on the meaning thing. That said (and you may have already covered this in your earlier writings), a very interesting thing is that meaning is naturally and normally an accessible thing to humans, but we separate ourselves from it or deny it, that is, meaning. Indeed, in many respects, meaning is built right into our biology, or (perhaps more accurately) there IS natural meaning in being human, but we demean it or separate ourselves from it, too often.
And, of course, a consumer-focused culture can have a tendency (to put it mildly) to make one think that true meaning is just around the corner, after you buy the latest gizmo.
Maybe there could be an ad that shows a package-laden, over-packaged person, i.e. a “consumer”, pacing down a busy public street (don’t we all feel that way sometimes?), looking as if she has lost her meaning, who then, as if lightning struck, has an “aha” and zips her external self off, as if it were an external skin, and discards it along with the baggage, and in her new un-baggaged persona skips happily into a grassy park, or a forest, or a pond. She (of course) finds the meaning that was within her all along. An ad with a happy and refreshing ending, not from buying more baggage, but rather from getting rid of baggage and being free of it.
That sort of ad captures the journey, if done well, all in 30 seconds?
A great song that addresses this theme, of course, is the Kinks’ “Ape Man” (though it wouldn’t fit the ad just described in terms of tone and etc.).
LaM and Jeff and others here: I created a cartoon caption contest here, I hope you will add your comments. Just for fun. Humor helps focus the message. A few people have already commentedl. Go look:
http://northwardho.blogspot.com/2008/02/global-warming-cartoon-caption-contest.html
And as for music, Jeff and LaM, Jack Johnson from Hawaii has a new song in his new CD called ALL AT ONCE, and it’s about, yes, global warming. See the lyrics and listen to the Youtube version free here:
http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/jackjohnson/allatonce.html
I have been living in one of those moments.
Celebrate being
emptily open, thirsting …
Zen embraces you!
We ought not demand
such moments; rather let’s beg,
then give-up begging …
Let’s welcome more streams
of Zen moments, “Obi Wan”!
We’re the “only hope”.
Enjoy “emergence”!
See self, others; listen; learn …
“Emergency-Care”.
Our human tribe,
still learning how to evolve …
… comes home, heartily.
Centuries from now,
“entropy’s users’ help-desk”
nurtures human life.
Like Laurie A. sings:
‘ … turn around and there’s fear. Turn
again, and there’s love …’
Glad I found this strand.
Trust I make at least some sense.
Life, I’m glad I trust.
Thanks Paul, for this beautiful strand of Zen consciousness . . .
You’re most welcome, My Dear Ms. Marguerite.
I had fun with the writing that you helped inspire, so the least I could do is share it with you.
Here’s a quote and a link that I trust you may enjoy (Mr. Kerouac and Ms. Macy are Global-American heroes of mine).
This quote was written on a refrigerator magnet and given to me as a birthday present a few years ago:
“The only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn, like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars …” Jack Kerouac
This link’s to an abbreviated version of Joanna Macy’s take on a Shambala Warrior myth that I first encountered in her book “World as Lover, World as Self” about 12 years ago:
http://www.livingearthgatherings.org/shambala.html
I’ve had a rather demanding week and just viewed some of your recent posts/threads earlier tonight. You Go Girl!
Recent wake-up calls
suggest synergies yet learned.
Onward through the fog …
Ciao for now,
paul
P. S. – Kindly extend my warm regards to Mr. Forthomme the next time you two make contact. Your reference to his work inspires me to reconnect with my “Brotka”, Christian.