In Lieu of Something Else
A number of years ago I wrote an article about the satisfaction I find in splitting and stacking wood in the fall, and ultimately building fires the old-fashioned way. (As opposed to turning on the gas and pushing a button). At the time I wrote it, I was living at Ruth’s (my now ex-wife) staggeringly beautiful family ranch in Wyoming, but I know it’s true for me in general. Anyways, given the amount of navel gazing that goes on while engaged in any repetitive activity like that, I’m sure I conjured several reasons why I find splitting wood satisfying, but one that I didn’t write about is the idea of relaxing into a project that you know is going to take time. I’m doing more of that in my ‘new’ life.
I’m guilty of spending a lot of my life rushing to get done with one thing so I could get on to doing ‘something else’. I feel like it’s a competition, against whom or what I’m not sure, (possibly the Sun’s path across the sky or the persistent parade of passing seasons marking my inevitable march to death. I guess those are related), to get everything I do done quickly; So much so that it’s always burdensome and stressful. Ironically, the ‘something else’ I’m rushing to get to is, oftentimes, doing literally nothing.
Here, on a boat, in Mexico, like being at that ranch in Wyoming, the sense of urgency dissolves. It’s occurring to me, literally as I write this, that the ‘something else’ was never a doing thing — it’s more of a being thing. Life is way less automated here so the expectation that things will be done quickly and easily goes away. Everything, from cooking and washing dishes, to standing in this or that line to process life’s paperwork, even going to the bathroom and taking a shower, is a little less comfortable and takes a lot more time, and I’m simply able to accept that.
After all — I ‘be’ in Mexico now. On a boat! For now, at least, that is enough.
Cheers
PS —You can always add your own PS to your story
