Living-Deliberately.com

Not running. Not marching. Sometimes leading, sometimes following. Sometimes walking, but only a step at a time, and always listening.

It’s humbling to trip over that large lump in the carpet, cleverly (or not so) disguising the Elephant. I prefer hardwood flooring anyway…which is to say, I prefer uncluttered, clean, honest, natural elemental living. Carpet collects dust, dirt, and dander and buries out of the reach of any vacuum. It’s handy for hiding what lies beneath. But then, the day of revelation always comes and the truth must be faced….

So I’m sitting on purpose. The carpet has been ripped out from under us. The floor beneath is scratched and worn but it’s real. My legs are crossed and my eyes are closed and my ears and mind are open.  I no longer feel a call for a big mantra, a big movement…massive momentum that sweeps up and carries away.  Maybe it’s because there is still a rather large bruise on my backside from that fall. Maybe this is just a season for sitting and listening and opening.

I read a bumper sticker today that said, “No Farms, No Food.” I marveled at the simple truth there. If we don’t grow it, we won’t eat. It’s simple and complex, all at the same time. Having farms to grow food requires steps along the way that promote sustainable farming. A million decisions along the way will determine if we have farms or not, and thus, food or not.  And someone removed all the carpet from that truth, down to the bare, four words that sum it all up.  Someone, and I’d bet they are someone familiar with dirt and seeds and weather patterns and The Farm Bill, knew to scrape away the hyperbole and clutter down to the sitting-down essence.

So here I am: I want to be authentically human. Just that. A real person who really loves and is loved. Under the screw-ups and imperfections and ideals and visions and goals…under the defining roles and positions filled, we all have the same humanity. We can all deliberately sit down and hear one another if we try. Maybe part of me hopes more will be accomplished that way than all the militant crusades I could go on put together.

If we want food, we must farm. If we want to hear, we must listen. Be quiet on purpose. Be willing to fail and still love the self beneath. Take this day and let it be. And maybe sweep my floor each morning.

Trackback This Post | Subscribe to the comments through RSS Feed