Musings: The Idle Mind as Heaven’s Workshop? Part II

There is nothing new in the world except the history you do not know. Harry Truman

Nothing against Harry, but I’m guessing we can create new histories. I mean, look at the difference in human history because of technology. As best as we can tell, that technology was new to human experience. However, give Harry his due: Within a given plane, eventually all we’re going to do is come full circle and that’s history repeating itself even if we don’t know it.

Have a heart that never hardens, and a temper that never tires, and a touch that never hurts. Charles Dickens

Okay, we’ve got some operational definitions that may need clarification here: What exactly is a hardened heart? We get tired, why not temper? And sometimes it hurts to heal and touching can do both, so what kind of hurt? However, give Charles his due: Just how much would it hurt us if our hearts were strong yet soft? And being angry has its place, being in a rage, maybe not so much. And to touch in ways that allow us to rest, and breathe, and smile, and wonder—how much would we all benefit?

One should be as aware of those who espouse equality at least as much as those who espouse inequality. We are all human beings and have consciousness to some degree or the other. Acting like some folks are less human can be a simple way to feel superior to others. That’s an interesting “drug.” But we do not all have the same “gifts.” Nor should we expect that. When we do, suddenly some folks can start Jones-ing away, pining for what someone else “has” and lamenting what is missing in the one Jones-ing—another interesting “drug.”

To the women (women can tweak it for men): If you are only looking to be saved, you are an aspiring apprentice, not a true lover. Enough said.

It is one thing to comfort a person, it is quite another to realize them and love them all the more for it. Ever been around children? If we teach them that pats on the head are good, they tend to go for pats on the head. I wonder how much more secure and free to learn and play we would all be if we just loved? That doesn’t mean we have to blindly accept all human behaviors, but we don’t have to hate because of them.

Companionship is not at all the same as belongingness. The former is like living “in the same neighborhood,” the latter is like living “in the same heart.” In companionship, there is safety in the separation and fun in togetherness. In belongingness there is safety in togetherness and fun in the separation. We can get all comedic with this one particularly, but if we give it a pause, it is easier to see the difference. In the former, separation is the safety net; in the latter belongingness is.

A sign of well-being: Being able to do what you want tomorrow, after being able to do what you wanted today. We’re talking sanity here, not somebody who’s coalesced around revenge or avoidance. When was the last time you woke up and didn’t have to do much of anything? Do you even remember such a time?

When one gets older, they may require more guarantees then when they were younger. I used to quit a job to travel. I just went into business, figuring I could make it work (I did). I would go ahead and get romantically involved with a woman. I used to run if I felt like it. Or drink or smoke or whatever. I could always recover if need be. And I needed to recover a lot. Now it’s not so easy. As a result, I’m much slower at engaging in behaviors than I used to be. However, I can still kick a can down the road with the best of ‘em.

While we’re doing some idle can-kicking, let’s be light for a bit.

After a certain age, all physical activity is also a kind of physical therapy. Sure, physical activity is a therapy whatever one’s age. But as one ages, it’s like all movement is more therapy than just activity. I was watching my 27-month-old grandchild just plop on the floor and rise up without pushing off. I tried it. It’s hard. I felt awkward and stupid trying. Not to mention looking like I could lose my balance and pitch over. Now I am practicing it so I can get better. Yeah, that’s what I said: I have to practice sitting on the floor from a standing position and then rise-up without hurting myself. Ridiculous!

It’s funny how much more secure one can feel when they have access to hot water. Not just water, but hot water. My Jacuzzi went out and it took a month to get the parts and get it fixed. I was in major withdrawal. Sitting in a bathtub or standing in the shower is not the same thing, but I had to do it for a while—it’s better than no hot-water access. But I use the shower to get clean—and it’s a good feeling to have hot water to clean one’s self. But I need more. I need to sit in hot water. I need to move around in it. And I need to do it outside where one can look at the night or sit warm in the rain. Heck, I even do it in the summer, though I live in a desert-like climate. It’s like being embraced and opened at the same time.

And finally, perhaps teachers, of which we all are, all really just “suggesters.” Perhaps students, of which we all are, are really just “suggestees.” Think about how powerful suggestions are. What if our lives are built with suggestion Lego® Blocks? What if we knew it?

Time to stop this bit of can-kicking. However, it’s not a bad way to spend some days. It sure can be a way to balance being busy and maybe even a way to get something different brewing. No pressure, it’s just a suggestion.