Saturday, June 4, 2016

Silence & Solitude



I've gotten into a bit of a groove with my weekends of Silence & Solitude, and I confess: I love them. Love, love, LOVE them. There is something magical that happens when I'm all by myself and I know that nothing needs me, and that everything is, in fact, far away and removed from me, couldn't make use of me if I had it. Days of Silence & Solitude have become little treasures that I give to myself.

Today's foray into the Realm of the Self yielded a slew of journal pages, writings, drawing, colored pens, the whole lot -- no focus at the outset, none needed and none found for hours and hours, what most folks would see (myself included when I'm in my linear mindset) as a patent Waste Of Time.

And then, after twelve hours of poking around, coloring like a little kid, making notes of randomness in the extreme on all the pages, wherever they seemed to fit at the time, some Stuff started to Come Forth. I usually know this is going on not because it seems any more important or meaningful than the other stuff that I have been scribbling down, but because it feels just a bit different. It tickles, tingles and is bubbly a bit and, often, I laugh. Well, giggle, really. It feels delightful.

And then there are the Things that show up as it all pours forth. Today, three proposals for independent study, one with a chaplain, one to create a foundation, and one for studies related to a possible presentation on stoicism and the community mandate (is there one?); two book premises (one about choices we make and the other about the power of gifting); a baker's dozen articles on real solutions for a mental health toolkit; a request to Amanda Palmer for some of her books to give away to folks who need them; the beginnings of a conversation with Massimo.

I can't exactly tell you how doodling about karma, the new moon in gemini, my upcoming Nerd Fitness challenge, a song from my love, the afternoon rain, the pending republican primary election had anything whatsoever to do with what came out. But there it is, sports fans, in all its glory.

Behold, the power of Nothing.