7 June 2020
Time as I start to write this is now 9:20 a.m. I have been up since a little bit after 6 a.m. The day started oddly at about 2:30 a.m. when the carbon monoxide detector went off. In that the wood stove and furnace are not in operation, I went and checked the only other source I could think of for carbon monoxide, the water heater. Our relatively new water heater seemed to be working fine and the pilot light was going. No sensor lights were blinking.
My guess as to why the alarm was set off was the occurrence of a momentary power outage. In the alternative someone bumped into it on their way to the washroom in the middle of the night. I opened my bedroom window and went back to sleep. Note I reset the alarm and it did not start chirping again. Other members of my family went out on the back porch with blankets and pillows and my meditation mat. Eventually after a couple of hours they returned to the house. Finding that I had not expired they bedded down for the night at about 4-ish. I will check on this alarm today.
Deep inside of me there is a clock set to a time that I used to have to get up at. That alarm was set more than five months ago when I used to get up and prepare for work. This internal, or should I say infernal, chiming monstrosity bells commence a ringing right at six a.m. Today I awoke no later than 6:15 on this glorious sunshine filled late spring morning. I dithered about in bed a bit. First, I checked my phone glancing at Facebook, then the national news feed, then the local news feed. At that point I got up and went down for breakfast.
As I ate my cereal and fruit, I came to the conclusion that my walking partner for my pre 8 a.m. walk was deeply cocooned in the bed and would not be joining me on the first walking outing of the day. Washing my breakfast dishes, I decided that I would go for speed on this walk. My usual walking pace per my Apple Watch is about 3 miles an hour, just under 20 minutes to the mile. Today I wanted to better that. I put my dishes away, put my shoes on and headed out.
The temperature was 57F as I headed out. I was just wearing a tee shirt. My dress was perfect for the day and for what I wanted to accomplish. I took the broadest widest sidewalks that are around me and pounded out a quicker pace. Up and down through the tree lined streets. Even with stopping for a photo or two of flowers, I clicked off my first mile in 16 minutes and 20 seconds. Quite a start. In the end I bettered my time. I came in the door at 2 miles in 32 minutes and 36 seconds.
Grabbing some coffee, I headed out to the porch to get a glass of decaffeinated ice tea. When I got there, I found the blankets and the pillows from last night. I folded them all up and put them away. I noticed my meditation mat out and realized I had not meditated in at least two weeks. Having gotten my heart pumping and having the time and the solitude I thought this might be the right moment to meditate.
Tea was poured. Coffee was set out too in a thermal cup. A mat was positioned and ancient music was turned on and played via a portable speaker. For ten minutes I sat down and emptied my mind. My pulse dropped to 55 bpm. My sweating from the walk and the puttering about stopped. Bird song and ancient harmonies, the moment was good. This moment of peace was what a good religious service should be in my opinion, calming, cleansing, refreshing.
Sunday, a day of rest. I will not look at the news again until noon. I will sit here and enjoy my coffee. I will sit here and breathe. For a few moments we need to regroup.
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