It strikes me that sometimes the reason we have phrases that everyone knows is because they are actually worth knowing. Things like "out of the frying pan and into the fire"; "look before you leap still waters run deep" and "never look a gift-horse in the mouth" are common sense.
I mean think about it - if you are in a hot situation, it makes a great deal of sense to be certain that you are not jumping from it straight into the source of the heat when making your next move. In learning this lesson we learn not to move quickly just for the sake of moving when we feel the heat. We learn to assess the situation, and hopefully make a decision that takes us out of the cooking zone altogether.
And when it comes to leaping, it is always a good idea to know what you are leaping into. The idea that the water in front of you will be shallow or easily treadible just because no ripples are seen is something to definitely reflect carefully on before you decide to take the dive. For two very good reasons, one because it very well may be shallow - too shallow for the height at which you are plummeting toward it. And second, because it could prove to be far too deep, and if you are not an excellent swimmer or capable of treading water until someone decides to pull you out, you are very likely to drown. So broken bones or lungs full of water could await the incautious leaper. Either way - not a good idea to just dive off the cliff before investigating the nature of the water you will land in.
And that gift horse. It has very sharp teeth. While it is your friend at the moment, pissing it off by sticking your head in its mouth to take a good hard look at what is going on inside, as if you have a right to inspect its molars (or motives), well that could very well lead to a nip on the jugular that you might not recover from.
So think about the cliche's you know. I bet if you walk through them, you will find more often than not they are pretty much common sense guidance on taking that time to step back and assess the situation, or to deal more politely with others - or at least with more delicacy. They can be pretty good guideposts for a civil society. I wonder why we make so much fun of these little catch phrases? Could it be because we fail so often to utilize their value in day to day living?
Just thinking out loud.
Cat got your tongue?
Its Cold Out Here....but Beautiful....
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Monday, March 19, 2012
You are Windblown
Spring has sprung and per the weathermen it may have come too soon. I wandered out to the lilacs and lillies and checked the emerging green shoots and tight buds. I wondered if the the man on the screen might be right. Would my fragile plants be bitten by a frost yet to come? How could I know, and what could I do to prevent such a mishap? It seems there is very little I can do to protect my cherished blossoms. All I can do is enjoy this bit of spring and hope that it will hold on. That somehow it will not relinquish its grasp on the season, and that at a minimum it will nip Jack Frost in the nose and keep him at bay until next year.
It makes me wonder too, at how much worrying we do for our young. Our blossoms that we nuture over the years. Through the seasons of their youth. Tugging on coats and hats, reminding them about shoes and socks, helmets and other safety gear. I am amazed I made it through childhood without all of the extra padding come to think of it. Though I did indeed have my fair share of winter wrappings. Somehow I did indeed make it through, and though in some ways I am sure it seemed that spring came far too early in my life for my Mom and Dad, I did not fail to bloom. (Or at least I don't believe I did - and perception is well over two thirds of the battle.) So with this is mind, I endeavor not to coddle my younglings - with an eye toward a future where they will stand tall with a strong wind blowing and a constant prayer that they will never face a gale force wind.
Funny how easy it is to slip from the casual observation of the tiny little buds on the lilac to the concerns of family, the ripple effects of time and the sudden rush of spring. It is a time of renewal and with that comes the knowledge that somethings must be left at the wayside for the new growth to spring forth. That is part of the cycle, as natural as breathing in and breathing out. I guess we take it for granted quite often that in order to grow we must allow for change, and change typically involves letting some things go. A snake sheds its skin, humans nails grow and break, we all leave bits behind us as we become who we will be. Even my lovely lillies leave the shells of their former glory on the ground as they burst into the new year. I guess it could be that they intend to absorb that richness over time as it redeposits itself into the soil. But as I clean it up each year that no longer happens. That goes into the compost for someone else to value.
And still I fear the frost of this early season as much as I enjoy the current warmth. There must be some natural balance in my reaction to this weather. The contemplative joy I feel as the sun hits the window, and the need to water the plants - shocked though they will be - as I hardly ever manage to water them enough. Spring indeed has sprung - and with it the hopes and fears of the coming year.
May the earth's blessings be upon you, and may your God lift up your heart.
Enjoy it while you have it........................as the song goes - you are windblown..........
And you know the rest
It makes me wonder too, at how much worrying we do for our young. Our blossoms that we nuture over the years. Through the seasons of their youth. Tugging on coats and hats, reminding them about shoes and socks, helmets and other safety gear. I am amazed I made it through childhood without all of the extra padding come to think of it. Though I did indeed have my fair share of winter wrappings. Somehow I did indeed make it through, and though in some ways I am sure it seemed that spring came far too early in my life for my Mom and Dad, I did not fail to bloom. (Or at least I don't believe I did - and perception is well over two thirds of the battle.) So with this is mind, I endeavor not to coddle my younglings - with an eye toward a future where they will stand tall with a strong wind blowing and a constant prayer that they will never face a gale force wind.
Funny how easy it is to slip from the casual observation of the tiny little buds on the lilac to the concerns of family, the ripple effects of time and the sudden rush of spring. It is a time of renewal and with that comes the knowledge that somethings must be left at the wayside for the new growth to spring forth. That is part of the cycle, as natural as breathing in and breathing out. I guess we take it for granted quite often that in order to grow we must allow for change, and change typically involves letting some things go. A snake sheds its skin, humans nails grow and break, we all leave bits behind us as we become who we will be. Even my lovely lillies leave the shells of their former glory on the ground as they burst into the new year. I guess it could be that they intend to absorb that richness over time as it redeposits itself into the soil. But as I clean it up each year that no longer happens. That goes into the compost for someone else to value.
And still I fear the frost of this early season as much as I enjoy the current warmth. There must be some natural balance in my reaction to this weather. The contemplative joy I feel as the sun hits the window, and the need to water the plants - shocked though they will be - as I hardly ever manage to water them enough. Spring indeed has sprung - and with it the hopes and fears of the coming year.
May the earth's blessings be upon you, and may your God lift up your heart.
Enjoy it while you have it........................as the song goes - you are windblown..........
And you know the rest
Friday, March 16, 2012
Long and Winding Road
Tis a long and winding road that brings us round to ourselves and to our homes. How often we choose the bending paths, twist and turn and take the longest way. It is so easy to see where the phrase " Can't see the forest for the trees" comes from, once you've settled at last on your own front porch.
We travel through this life looking for the next thing, the next toy, and even the next person that will somehow validate our inner being. It seems odd that we seem to miss the idea that we are the only validation required. And unless and until we provide that validation - it simply will not occur. We carry our own fire. It is not something that can be given to us, brandished by another to make us warm or fierce or capable.
Yet there we are - aimlessly - or sometimes even with a plan laid out in detail, seeking just that. For some, the answer comes easily and they learn early on that they carry what is necessary inside themselves. For others, they remain constantly seeking that source of life, of constance and of empowerment never tapping into the root that runs through their core.
Certainly there are times when each of us finds it hard to connect with that interior source. But not believing in it, not knowing that this is there and available to us, it weakens the soul and leaves us weeping even when we think we are laughing.
For all of us that have wandered long and hard to find that porch to settle on and for those who are still traveling the path - Here's to finding the way home - to your center.
May the road rise up to greet you
And the wind be forever at your back
Happy St. Patrick's Day
and Travel Well My Friends
We travel through this life looking for the next thing, the next toy, and even the next person that will somehow validate our inner being. It seems odd that we seem to miss the idea that we are the only validation required. And unless and until we provide that validation - it simply will not occur. We carry our own fire. It is not something that can be given to us, brandished by another to make us warm or fierce or capable.
Yet there we are - aimlessly - or sometimes even with a plan laid out in detail, seeking just that. For some, the answer comes easily and they learn early on that they carry what is necessary inside themselves. For others, they remain constantly seeking that source of life, of constance and of empowerment never tapping into the root that runs through their core.
Certainly there are times when each of us finds it hard to connect with that interior source. But not believing in it, not knowing that this is there and available to us, it weakens the soul and leaves us weeping even when we think we are laughing.
For all of us that have wandered long and hard to find that porch to settle on and for those who are still traveling the path - Here's to finding the way home - to your center.
May the road rise up to greet you
And the wind be forever at your back
Happy St. Patrick's Day
and Travel Well My Friends
Friday, March 2, 2012
Happy Snow Day
Ouside the snow swirls, creating an opague mist. The branches that only this morning yearned cleanly upward toward the blue sky are now just another part of a vast white landscape. On my window the frost has patched. The occasional flake breaking off and sliding like a single tear in a slow free-fall down the long slope of the building. Some how all of this is beautiful from inside my warm cocoon. I know that soon I will have to face the brutal wind. That it will be me fighting the harsh howl as it rocks my car on the drive home, yet for now, it just seems oddly peaceful to sit here and watch the winter world glaze over.
Seasons are truly strange and wonderous things. We have worshipped our way through them as a people for centuries, knowing that in their passage our bounty comes. Somehow even without all of our science to back us up, we knew even that long ago that our nature mirrored this natural rhythm. Funny isn't it that so many people have trouble getting through the darkest days of winter. I count myself among them. Those days of waking to dark, going to work, and leaving again in the dark. Yet this could not be said of our ancestors. Of course that was because their work did not bind them inside a building, tie them to a desk or link their ear to a phone for 8 to 9 hours or more a day. No, they spent their day with the land, so while the sun may have given them less time, they did not miss the time it had to give. I think perhaps this is the larget part of our annual malaise. And perhaps that is why I find so much peace in the white haze of my day today.
The white increases the light in my space, snow that it may be, and it seems to be extending the lenght of the day before the light dissipates altogether. So as long as I am sheltered and warm I guess the snow works fine for now. Though I suspect, like the flakes that are sliding down my window, I may have a tear to spare later as I think of the road home.
In the interim I think I will enjoy a cup of tea, a bit of jazz and perhaps move through a few more files. Its not often that a winter day brings such a mellow note along with its flurry and fervor.
Happy Snow Day.....................
Seasons are truly strange and wonderous things. We have worshipped our way through them as a people for centuries, knowing that in their passage our bounty comes. Somehow even without all of our science to back us up, we knew even that long ago that our nature mirrored this natural rhythm. Funny isn't it that so many people have trouble getting through the darkest days of winter. I count myself among them. Those days of waking to dark, going to work, and leaving again in the dark. Yet this could not be said of our ancestors. Of course that was because their work did not bind them inside a building, tie them to a desk or link their ear to a phone for 8 to 9 hours or more a day. No, they spent their day with the land, so while the sun may have given them less time, they did not miss the time it had to give. I think perhaps this is the larget part of our annual malaise. And perhaps that is why I find so much peace in the white haze of my day today.
The white increases the light in my space, snow that it may be, and it seems to be extending the lenght of the day before the light dissipates altogether. So as long as I am sheltered and warm I guess the snow works fine for now. Though I suspect, like the flakes that are sliding down my window, I may have a tear to spare later as I think of the road home.
In the interim I think I will enjoy a cup of tea, a bit of jazz and perhaps move through a few more files. Its not often that a winter day brings such a mellow note along with its flurry and fervor.
Happy Snow Day.....................
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