4/15/2016 2 Comments On Taking Time for CoffeeRushing about this morning, quick coffee with hastily prepared eggs and a bit of sausage, I got ready for another day and of busy busy what-not and to-do's. Walked the dogs, took out the trash and threw whites in the washer with a healthy dose of Oxi-clean. Suddenly found I was ready early for an early run to Orange County, so said to myself, "Self, you have time for a second cup of coffee!" "Oh, no," I answered myself, "Too much trouble! By the time its done, it'll be time to go!" "No, it won't do it!" I have been making coffee in a second-hand percolater that I picked up at an estate sale. Made the best coffee I thought until for some reason I forgot to put water in it one morning and it began to burn. I thought I caught it in time, but alas, it seems to have had a stroke and forgotten how to shut itself off when the cycle is done. I am pretty sure it cannot be repaired. Oh, well. Back to the french press I thought hadn't been making good coffee. Well, perhaps it was the human making it. I tried it again yesterday and again today and wonders of wonders, it makes just fine coffee! Anyway, I decided to make a second little brew. (It is a small press, big enough to make one mug of coffee. A cup seems not enough these days and who drinks coffee from cups these days anyway?) So it is brewing right now as I write. And there is time enough to drink it...leisurely...before I take off to get gas and hit the road. And taking the time to have that second cup (mug) feels so deliciously decadent, I am savoring every sip. Maybe coffee isn't your thing. That's fine. But I am sure there is something that you can treat yourself to, take the time to fix or buy ready-made, and enjoy. The point is to take time for it and indulge. It is making my day. Probably would yours, too.
2 Comments
This evening as I was leaving one of my writing workshops I found myself feeling a bit disconnected. Everyone dispersed and and went their separate ways. Feeling adrift, It was as if I wasn't quite plugged in right then. During the workshop I felt like I was connected to the other participants, but then someone would make an observation or comment actually repeating something I had already said as if I had never said it. That I attributed to the layout of the room, my soft voice and the probability the person who made the repeated remark having not heard me. That happens. It's time like that that make one stop and go "huh?" Maybe it is because I have come to enjoy my alone time so much that I am finding it more difficult to actually connect with other people; although I really doubt that. Perhaps I am more impatient with people and just don't invest that much energy in trying to connect. Maybe. I don't know. But I do notice that sometimes even when the moment is right for a "connecting moment", it doesn't happen. Like waiting for someone who is going to the same event you are and you both arrive early. The other person walks a few steps with you and then says, "I'll see you there, I'm stopping here to meet the others and get some coffee." Huh? Maybe I am just being a bit sensitive maybe, or maybe clueless. I don't know. But I feel a bit dismissed when things like this happen. On the other hand, there are times when someone actually wants to do something with me or include me in an event and I just can't. It usually either because I'm previously committed or I feel insecure or I just don't feel like it. Now shouldn't a connection be made there? It's not about you. It may not even be about me. It is just that particular time and circumstance. That's all. Of course, if it happens repeatedly, over and over, then I suppose a connection will be made, conclusions drawn and future connections not appear. So I guess what I am saying that I realized tonight that connection is a basic human need. I know I need to feel connected to others, but not anchored and/or tethered. The trick is to find the balance, as it is with ALL things in the human condition. Ugh. Work. That all said, I think I will unplug for now and connect with the pillow and my subconscious mind in dreamland. There, I believe, we can really connect the answers we are looking for. And of course, I'll always have Facebook for that ultimate illusion of connectivity! Just kidding, I love Facebook and, yes, I do believe it is a sincere form of staying connected, at least for me. I just turned on the outdoor light, the one by the kitchen door the lights the driveway overnight. It was 9:44pm. That’s late. I normally turn it on at dusk. But lately I seem to be turning it on late, sometimes just before I go to bed. Sometimes after I’ve gone to bed and get up for my usual trip downstairs to “take care of business.” This may not seem like a big thing. But it started me thinking. And that thinking led to an epiphany: everything changes. Sometimes the changes are gradual. Sometimes they are sudden. But things do change. And sometimes we notice right away and sometimes we may never notice. But things do change. About a month ago I was on a path of my choosing. I thought I knew what I wanted to do with my life and where I wanted to go. I still do. Yet the course I was on took a detour. That detour almost became a U-turn. Fortunately I realized this before that happened. And now I’m righting the course. Not easy. Detours can lead you to places you never wanted to go. Detours can also lead you back to places you’ve been before. If that happens, it’s best not to panic or despair. It’s best to just stop and take a deep breath. All will be revealed. Okay, maybe it is not clear exactly what I am talking about here. Let’s just say life has a way of throwing your a curve ball now and then. A big one was thrown my way recently. The best thing, though, is for it not to actually throw you. Sometimes being thrown for a loop is just what you need. Sometimes, not. Only your heart knows the difference. I think thats why we have both a heart and a brain. The important thing is that our brains and our hearts remember to talk to each other. And that’s the truth. So here I go, back on track. No u-turns and any detours are just temporary forays into what might happen if… That’s just fine, just leave a trail of breadcrumbs behind, just in case... The Chinese character for epiphany (insight). |
Rob McMurray,
|