Sunday musings – July 7, 2019
I have always been fascinated with the phenomenon of time and how differently we experience it depending on what is happening in our lives. This weekend, for example, Southern California experienced very strong earthquakes which were felt as far away as Las Vegas. Many reported that it felt as if the movement of the building and contents went on for a long time although it was less than a minute – often only 30 seconds. Time seems to slow down when in the midst of an event which could change the course of one’s life; an earthquake, a fall, an auto accident, a domestic incident, some other assault, or a combat situation. Often periods of one’s life such as being a teenager and waiting to be old enough to get one’s driver’s license or some over milestone move very slowly.
Last Sunday morning I was in Canton, Texas until nearly 11:00 a.m. or so when I left to spend time with good friends in Dallas before getting on a flight Monday for my return to Pittsburgh. Although only a week has since passed, it seems like months or years since I was in Texas. Of course, I have packed a lot of activities in the few days. Still, traveling from one place to another has always seemed magical and rather strange to me. I must have been on hundreds of flight since my first one at age 18, but the sense of magic as never left me. As a young child much of my travel was by foot and long school bus rides. Even that could seem magical. I still believe that the day will come when teleportation will become not only the material for science fiction but the same reality as space travel.
The distance from being a teenager to being nearly eighty now seems like it took place in the blink of an eye. In fact I am sure that it passed that quickly and, yet, my memory vault tells me that many events had to occur to stretch that line.
Spiritual teachers always remind one that only this moment exists; that if one will allow oneself to be intentional about being present in this very moment without judgment or the duality of labels one will have lived life to the fullest. I believe this to be true and occasionally I manage to nearly attain that state of quiet presence without dwelling on the past or worry about the future. I know, of course, that no matter what I do or do not do this moment has arrived and soon the next moment will arrive and so forth.
The dropping of dualities as Pema Chodron and other teachers remind me to do sounds so simple. Yet, I “find myself” practicing the habit of labeling the moments or the experience as good or bad; pain or not pain; joy or sadness; right or wrong.
Recently I was reading a book in which the author reported that a creative writing professor advised him to use active verbs to make his writing come alive; to avoid the use of gerunds, I. e. ask versus asking or do instead of dong. I must admit I had to refresh my memory of the definition of gerund. It has been a long time since Mrs. Shepherd introduced that term in the fourth grade. Verbs bring me to the present. I experience. We speak. We touch. We are here together in this moment. It is! We are!
Written July 7, 2019
Jimmy F Pickett
coachpickett.org
I have always been fascinated with the phenomenon of time and how differently we experience it depending on what is happening in our lives. This weekend, for example, Southern California experienced very strong earthquakes which were felt as far away as Las Vegas. Many reported that it felt as if the movement of the building and contents went on for a long time although it was less than a minute – often only 30 seconds. Time seems to slow down when in the midst of an event which could change the course of one’s life; an earthquake, a fall, an auto accident, a domestic incident, some other assault, or a combat situation. Often periods of one’s life such as being a teenager and waiting to be old enough to get one’s driver’s license or some over milestone move very slowly.
Last Sunday morning I was in Canton, Texas until nearly 11:00 a.m. or so when I left to spend time with good friends in Dallas before getting on a flight Monday for my return to Pittsburgh. Although only a week has since passed, it seems like months or years since I was in Texas. Of course, I have packed a lot of activities in the few days. Still, traveling from one place to another has always seemed magical and rather strange to me. I must have been on hundreds of flight since my first one at age 18, but the sense of magic as never left me. As a young child much of my travel was by foot and long school bus rides. Even that could seem magical. I still believe that the day will come when teleportation will become not only the material for science fiction but the same reality as space travel.
The distance from being a teenager to being nearly eighty now seems like it took place in the blink of an eye. In fact I am sure that it passed that quickly and, yet, my memory vault tells me that many events had to occur to stretch that line.
Spiritual teachers always remind one that only this moment exists; that if one will allow oneself to be intentional about being present in this very moment without judgment or the duality of labels one will have lived life to the fullest. I believe this to be true and occasionally I manage to nearly attain that state of quiet presence without dwelling on the past or worry about the future. I know, of course, that no matter what I do or do not do this moment has arrived and soon the next moment will arrive and so forth.
The dropping of dualities as Pema Chodron and other teachers remind me to do sounds so simple. Yet, I “find myself” practicing the habit of labeling the moments or the experience as good or bad; pain or not pain; joy or sadness; right or wrong.
Recently I was reading a book in which the author reported that a creative writing professor advised him to use active verbs to make his writing come alive; to avoid the use of gerunds, I. e. ask versus asking or do instead of dong. I must admit I had to refresh my memory of the definition of gerund. It has been a long time since Mrs. Shepherd introduced that term in the fourth grade. Verbs bring me to the present. I experience. We speak. We touch. We are here together in this moment. It is! We are!
Written July 7, 2019
Jimmy F Pickett
coachpickett.org
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