I have a great cardiologist friend of mine. Every time I talk to him he asks, “Have you spent any time with yourself today?”. Meaning no TV, no computer, no itunes in the ears, no cells phones, no distractions, just a few moments of listeniing to and feeling just your self. And I have to admit, I don’t experience that as often as I’d like. And the troubling thing is that I don’t have anyone to blame, other than myself.
The times that I do make an effort to quiet my mind, pay attention to my body and be calm and still are like mini-vacations. And the great part, is that you can do it anytime you like…except while driving or operating heavy machinery. Side effects will vary :)
And yes, you will still have to do the dishes, or go to work, or dress yourself, it just might be even better with a quiet mind 
September 7th, 2007
If you’ve updated your reception to hi-def, then chances are you have seen or heard about a show called “Sunrise Earth” on Discovery HD. If you don’t have hi-defintion channels (different than regular cable), then this might be a good reason to upgrade. It’s a very simple show. Just a high definition camera, great natural live sound and nature. THat’s it. And not like Africa on the plains with suspenseful music and a high profile actor narrating the consummate struggle with life and death. Nope, Sunrise Earth is more toned down.
Today’s episode was about some horses grazing in a green field with majestic mountains in the background while the sun was rising on a ranch in Wyoming. That was it. For an hour. And worth every penny. No narritive, no commercials, just some horses. Tranquil TV.
In the hustle and bustle of everyday life, it’s easy to forget to pay attention to the natural flow of this planet. Not our screwed up, technologically saavy, productive society, mind you, but something even deeper. Our natural world. Nature - as healing as it gets. And sadly, glimpses like these are slowly, but surely disappearing. I drove down a rode I hadn’t been down in a while here in town. Normally lined with woods on either side. In just a year or two, all the trees were gone and there was nothing but houses.
Thank God and the former presidents (not W, btw) for creating and preserving natural parks, forrests and the like. It’s entirely possible that someday at the rate of current construction, these video recordings might be all that we have left of what life was like on our planet before all the human development.
It’s ironic to rave of a TV show inside the comforts of our homes about nature, but I think it’s a good thing, independant of time and space to get a chance to experience moments (even if just virtual and temporary, without the smell, touch and ‘energy’) of the experience. An experience I might not have had otherwise. It’s like a breather and a reminder that we choose this life and these experiences and our stress levels. And watching in hi-def seems to help amplify the experience.
The other day, I was walking through the state park and this spontaneous thought popped in…
I don’t know what makes the trees grow,
I don’t know what makes the wind blow
All I know is that I like it.
September 7th, 2007