Time flies passed/past
Painting by the wonderful Sarah Hickey (https://sarahhickey.com.au)
As someone who works in chaos (others' perception, not mine), I decided to post a picture of a relatively ordered office. My office, but then I have many. I have adapted the idea of being a ‘slashie’…many things at many times. When I write, I write on my lap/lap table/ floor/one of the many desks I can find in my rambling old house/kitchen table/back verandah; sometimes, when it's not too glary,I work outside. Rarely in a cafe. Though many famous authors had done so through the years. Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir loved working in cafes. Sartre is quoted as saying, “We worked there, we [then] went to lunch… we came back, and we talked with friends that we met until eight o’clock”. They managed to write some of their most outstanding work in cafes throughout the war years. Historically, there is a tradition that because writing is such a solitary activity, being amongst the bustle of a coffee shop is energising. Not for me. I/slash/write in bed, like Edith Wharton and Proust. I even bought myself a lap desk so that my computer was comfortable. So was I.
As a ‘slashie’ (oh my, Grammarly wants me to change slashie to slushie but I won’t right now): theatre maker/artist/writer/mother/grandmother/therapist/coach/facilitator/wife/sister/friend to name just a few… I embrace change. Some say it's because I’m a Gemini. I say its because I was born under a wandering star, always curious about the next thing. Far more romantic in my book.
And sometimes, time escapes me. I put things off because my interest is on a different page/stage. This year (2024) is a year of study, and it feels wonderfully alive. Yoga teacher training, Contemplative Psychology study (based in the Tibetan tradition), Memoir Writing, learning about Dementia for the play I’m co-writing with Zac Callaghan and Leah Mercer…each day is an adventure of fitting in classes, rehearsals and meditation. And eating, and walking, and playing with the dogs…and meditating.
Yes. I opened up this computer to talk about meditation, but so far, I have talked about everything else. Time passed/past. I became curious/ interested/fascinated with writing. But I can tell you this. The reason why I am now writing regularly (I know, hard to believe) is that I meditate regularly. Am I good at it? Probably not, but that is not the point. You can’t be good/bad/right/wrong with meditation. That is what makes it so appealing. Every day is a new day. A new challenge. And the more I do it, the easier it gets to settle this old mind of mine. And the more I do it the more aware I become. The more aware I become the happier I am. So it’s a no-brainer.
I also meditate with others: each weekday morning, at 6 am or 7 am, depending on which state you are in, I open up my Zoom room to others who are interested in being part of a Sangha/community/group of like-minded people. You can join too if you are so inclined. You just have to sign up. I have a Facebook page called “Sangha for Artists of Life” (it’s a group page and can be accessed here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/835515145022233). Let me know if you want to join. You are in charge of your process, all you have to do is turn up.
Let’s not worry about time flying passed/past. Let’s just be here. Right now. Together.