I listened tonight to something Bruce read to Susan. I think you should read it, too; I think it is wise advice. Something the poet Gary Snyder wrote in his book Practice of the Wild.
"Get control of you own time; master the twenty-four hours. Do it well, without self-pity. It is as hard to get the children herded into the car pool and down the road to the bus as it is to chant sutras in the Buddha-hall on a cold morning. One move is not better than the other, each can be quite boring, and they both have the virtuous quality of repetition. Repetition and ritual and their good results come in many forms. Changing the filter, wiping noses, going to meetings, picking up around the house, washing dishes, checking the dipstick--don't let yourself think these are distracting you from your more serious pursuits. Such a round of chores is not a set of difficulties we hope to escape from so that we may do our 'practice' which will put us on a 'path'--it is our path."
And here's a pretty photograph from Bruce:
Wise words, Nadine. I think people sometimes think cats' apparent inactivity is a bad thing. But we're living completely in the moment. We aren't worried about what has happened or is yet to come. There is peace in this, too. And the most important part of following any path is to do it completely and experience it fully.
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