Rest your stems
"All man’s troubles come from not knowing how to sit still in one room." – Blaise Pascal
My good and wise friend in New Zealand, Richard, evidently determined recently that I needed instruction in how to be idle. Imagine my delight when a book arrived by that title, a gift from Richard. The author, Mr. Hodgkinson, leads his reader through 24 hours of vast, expansive, fantastic idleness. "Lying in" (my favorite), long lunches, the art of the nap, and how to skive – all provide inspiration for taking a break.
The chapter that is missing is the one I could now write: Walking On Stems* With An Ankle Bit The Size Of A Melon. (* in Tess’ world, my crutches are called "stems")
At the recent 37days retreat (what a glorious, amazing, inspiring group of people, what laughs and learning, what Leaf Attention, what tremendous organic vegetarian food from the Kitchen Goddess), I found myself telling my dinner companions about all the grandiose Sitting-Still-Plans I have for what I have found out will be my six months of recuperation from The Fall. Books to write, plans to devise, articles to finalize, world peace to achieve–it was a long list. They turned to me and asked, sweetly, over their perfectly seasoned eggplant stack, "What would be wrong with simply resting?"
And so, my friends, I am learning from Mr Hodgkinson and my fellow retreatants the fantastic art of guilt-free lounging. Thank you, Richard, for starting the process. Yours is a wisdom I so need and cherish.
I will return after my glorious nap.
