"Much to learn you still have..."

Painting, "Girl in Green Chair," by Michael Carson.

I'm throwing the Puritan Ethic under the bus:  do less.  It surprised me how many of these recommendation (mandates?) I have slowly folded into my life.  I move slowly, eat slowly, talk slowly (mostly), make decisions slowly.  All with deliberation.

I devote time to sitting, think about what is necessary and leave as much space as can be gently wrangled between things.  To the best of my ability and awareness I smile and serve others, by my definition.  Cooking, especially chopping, and dish washing are meditation.

At nearly 70 years of age I am learning to play a musical instrument for the first time.  Spending five minutes, approximately,  with a guitar teacher when I was 18 and having a nervous breakdown really doesn't count.  The stilling, focusing aspects of practicing and learning chords may be medicinal.  I intend to sing.  I already savor and look forward to every unfolding moment of this adventure.  My visiting musician/music teacher brother has launched me well.  There is no fear that I will stumble, at least not lastingly, once he returns home.

Keeping "it" simple is a daily choice.  Gradually I feel less and less like the hopelessly tangled skein of embroidery thread, seeing myself more neatly wrapped around a square of scrap cardboard, feeling myself  not as kinked with drama and anxiety.

Peace has a quality of smoothness, of ease.  It is a process and it is slow.  Yoda is quoted as saying, "Much to learn you still have...my young padawan."  Heh heh.  Young.  I like that.