Celebrate Life out of Joy and Gratitude!
Greetings to all my family, students and friends. Many of you have been asking “what happened to the stationarypilgrim?” I did disappear from the blogosphere for several days but I am ready to return to our pilgrimage journey.
I have a job/profession, as a Psychology professor, that involves a great deal of thinking, pondering and speaking. I strive to “bring together” somewhat abstract ideas with everyday activities, observations and behaviors. I am known as a “man of many word and stories” and a good teacher, at least that’s what the students say on their evals of me! I am seldom without some topic to speak about, some insight to share, some observation to make! However, there are times that I do fall silent!
I have learned over the years as a teacher, therapist and spiritual seeker that there are times when one’s words and ideas stop flowing or become murky and chaotic. This often signals the coming of a serious life choice and/or the arrival of a significant insight. I have been experiencing one of these periods!
I have also learned that the best thing for me to do is to not force the words, but to just quiet myself and listen! I listen to the voice from within me, and those from outside (e.g., a sermon, a partner, friends and students, sacred scriptures, secular philosophy, world events) and of course all forms of the voice of nature.
I am preparing right now to take a hike along a beautiful river on a sunny Spring day, then I will attend church and enjoy the sharing of fellowship before joining a long time friend for lunch and an always stimulating discussion. Later this evening I will climb back on the bike and share with you more about this period of silence. Again thank you to all my fellow pilgrims for your concern and encouragement. I will leave you with a poem/musing I wrote this morning as I read the paper and fed my caffeine habit at a local eatery!
Listen: There is always something to hear!
One to Go
Like a parade of classic cars
they creep past
wearing gray trim
– like me
thin top covering
– like me
they savor their coffee
– like me
they ponder serious issues
– like me
they seek Sunday morning wisdom
– like me
they open their Bibles
the youngest among them
leads the prayer
I close my paper
and my notes
Called to worship
by the sun
the rushing river
the bird calls
This classic prefers
a path less travelled
at a creeping pace
Fifteen for coffee
one to go!
****
A new day with promises, opportunities and joys!
Have a wonderful day… embrace, savor and share it with those you meet!
What a wonderful, meaningful poem, Pilgrim! Love this:
“This classic prefers
a path less travelled
Frost is a classic to model ourselves by.
Katherine thanks for your kind words… sometimes just watching the flow of people leads to unexpected inspirations!
Hey, all of us have times for talk and times for reflection. It’s the mark of a wise person to be able to step back when the words don’t wish to make themselves known!
The blogosphere is an interesting place. Out in the real world, people often complain if a person talks incessantly. People often say, “Enough. Would you shut up for a while!” In this medium, however, if a blogger skips a few days of posting, then everybody clamors, “What’s wrong?”
I look forward to your resumed blog posts…whenever they come.
Thank you as always fellow taoist! The fog is clearing… the the words are taking shape… like the sound of water as you draw near!