Peripatetic Musing Number 132

“You don’t need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows.”

            -  Subterranean Homesick Blues ,Bib Dylan 

“ Lay Down all thoughts , surrender to the void

It is shining, it is shining

Yet you may see the meaning of within

It is being, it is being…”

        - Tomorrow Never Knows. Lennon and McCartney

“If you want to see God laugh, tell him your plans”

     - Woody Allen

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Peripatetic Musing Number 132

The problem with GPS is that it is no different

From the old Atlas Road Maps or Seafaring Navigational Charts.

You can plan where you are headed and chart a course

But you never know what is going to happen along the way. 

Sometimes things happen and you didn’t even start the journey.

Just as everything was going smoothly, winds blowing right, fair skies,

Sometimes “There comes a time when all the cosmic tumblers click into place” 

But sometimes everything falls apart…tragedy, storms, nightmares.

The worst case scenario seemed to randomly surface without notice.

Just as we were on the road to celebrate a nice evening with good friends

The phone call came on a the mobile phone…a call no one dares to consider

Or ever dream of ….but suddenly the words on the line flowed

Like poison about to kill our spirits….it was our landscaper ,

In a quivering voice he said “ I am so sorry…I don’t know what to say…

I accidentally ( long pause) cut your state of the art cable to your house.”

Immediately we knew what that meant….the horror, the pain , the sadness,

The aloneness, the angst , the grief and on and on and on….

What would I do? No Television, no internet access- through computers

Or state of the art “smart phone” and just as bad - no land line phone.

Panic started to set in and I composed myself long enough to call the cable company.The news did not improve…it would be three days before anyone could come out And check and “Hopefully repair” the problem.

Oh, the pain. What to do?What to do?

I submitted to my plight and tried not to allow it to interfere with 

Our visit with our close friends and then the second call came.

It was our landscaper again. I shook as I answered the call. I didn’t think 

I could handle any more traumatic news.

But he said “ I got some tools and extra cable and I think your cable is fixed.”

Alleluia! Thank you Jesus! Everything was right with the world again.

“But, you will have to check everything when you get home.”

Relief! A great sigh expunged all the angst. Admittedly I tried to remain

Present with the company our friends but there were frequent drifts to the great anticipation and expectation when  we would arrive home. 

I could hardly wait.

Relief and calm slowly settled in…as the worry about the potential lack of

Necessary technologies began to evaporate.

No more anticipating  a probable monastic lifestyle for at least three days.

No more concern about missing critical email correspondence of notice 

Of packages about to be delivered or last minute sales of music equipment or

No missed messages from long lost friends who who reach out every four years or so.

No more concern about missing that favorite repeat of “Law and Order” on TV or scrolling

The laundry list of 100’s of channels that might have that one show I would accidentally view!

No more worry about missing that phone call or message from my pharmacy say that

My prescription had been filled 

Or missing the phone call that would let me know that thing I ordered was in.

I din’t have to think about all the books on my shelf waiting to be read or the songs whose lyrics and chords I had printed out so I could practice on my guitar. I no longer had to think about how and when to pack my bike in my car so I could ride along the beach on the island.

Relief…what a feeling. Whew I dodged a bullet!

Whew!!!

Three hours later, the drive home was so slow everyone seemed to decide that night that the posted speed limit was just right and every driver would abide . Finally , finally …we arrived and I jumped from the car more excited 

Than a four year old on Christmas morning.

Computer … on, Tv …on , picked up the phone and realized with overwhelming dismay

Nothing was working. Maybe I did something wrong. Retry everything….Nothing.

My God , My God why have you forsaken me?

It was difficult to sleep that night. What will I do? What will I do?

The next morning I made some coffee and was submissive to my fate. 

I sat in  and prayed in silence and solitude. For some reason unexplained no though surface about my technological circumstance. Something else seemed to settle in to this spirit.

The last of the darkness of the night faded into light slowly with each breath. The morning bird sweetly softly singing her simple solo song

Accompanied by the chimes intermittent ringing by the salted  holy wind,

The breath of God.

The tops of the proud-full trees were crowned with the glow of the arriving sun. Everything was illuminated, flowers colors shown brightly and shadows appeared

Of gliding gulls in from the from the coast as they laughed.

I was Breathing in, breathing out 

Eyes closed everything seemed to be clear in that moment.

The pen in hand mystically glided freely without intent or purpose

Words flowed like rain into a paper cup ,pools of sorrow ,waves of joy 

Drifted in my open mind. * filling virgin pages.

Just like that…the bubble of the first world worries flew away.

I had arrived back to where I needed to be. 

   - JF Sobecki

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1984 - Intro of The MacIntosh 

https://youtu.be/axSnW-ygU5g

Telephone Line - ELO

https://youtu.be/4xYk8hDmoGY

Video Killed the Radio Star - The Buggles

https://youtu.be/Iwuy4hHO3YQ

Simple Gifts - Allison Kraus/Yo Yo Ma

https://youtu.be/baNueuDCue0

Across the Universe - The Beatles

https://youtu.be/iotagMCkJRE

The Layers - Stanley Kunitz

https://youtu.be/wk6xW41EFoA

amdg

Copyright 2019 JF Sobecki LLC All Rights Reserved

" The Present "

 The present moment is filled with joy and happiness. If you are attentive, you will see it. (21)” 

― Thich Nhat Hanh, Peace Is Every Step: The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life

Ever have one of those days? You know what I mean. You go to make a nice fresh pot of coffee and that new super-duper digital self-timing self-measuring alarm clock radioed CD playing coffee maker won’t turn on. Suddenly you are forced to boil water over the stove because the microwave is set permanently to “thaw” and won’t boil water in a nanosecond. It takes a few frustrating minutes to rummage through the overstocked food cabinet to find that “New improved tastes like beans” instant coffee you bought months ago. Voila, persistence pays off as you find the package only to realize it is hardened and you have to chip away at the newly formed brick to make flakes to drop in your about to be boiled water.

 Finally you go to sit outside on the deck to witness the peace-filled dawn and there on your favorite most comfortable outdoor chair is a fresh welcoming pile of bird poop. You angrily grab a stiff wooden hard backed chair from inside the kitchen, sit perfectly up right and begin to record your morning observations in your journal. Opening the black book you see all the pages are full and that note that you had written that said,“ get a new journal,” slips gently from the inner pages of the book.

Sitting still you try to be present. Breathing deeply. Taking more breaths, in and out, in and out. Relaxed you forget to grasp the boiling hot mud-filled coffee mug on your lap and it spills probably scarring you for life. Rather than giving out that outlandish screech a perfectly fouled mouth curse slips out from under your breath. Retreating inside after you are done wiping and cleaning up much of the staining coffee you decide that sitting at the computer seems to be the perfect way to save the morning. Recording your thoughts and events so far on a hard drive will preserve this moment forever. No filled pages to worry about. You pop open the screen from our laptop to witness a rainbow ball spinning, spinning and spinning.

Recalling with arrogant pride your well-trained techno savvy cleverness you immediately reboot the computer. Again... Again. The ball still spins and spins and seems to spin faster and faster and finally the screen is blank. For some reason this box of electronic wizardry refuses your firm finger poking “command” to come back to life. CPR for laptops is a myth. For a split second tossing this useless “ piece of s *&%$” out the window seems like a way to get relief.

“But there are so many memories locked inside her. Maybe I can find a hard drive Dr. Frankenstein who can give her life again.”

Recalling that the TV cable connection is out from the storms two days ago. It has stormed a lot lately. Some trees have fallen but birds still sing and greet each day from the branches of the trees that still stand . So watching failed actors masquerading as television journalists to get their pre-adolescent versions and uneducated opinions of what is news and why is not an option now. You stumble your way to the front door for that trusted black and white solution. Opening the door it becomes evident that the paperboy has again skillfully tossed the morning newspaper to be visibly lodged in the upper third of your front lawn 50 foot oak tree.

“Gotta give that kid credit. He has a great arm.”

Frustratingly closing the door inner strength is gained to glance up the stairs to head back to where you started, and there stands that full smiling floppy eared golden hair shedding canine companion.  His happy tail wags feverishly. He pants over and over and over now sitting patiently awaiting your strides up the stairs so he can burst up jumping as you reach the final step with his fore paws onto your drained slumping shoulders.

Upon reaching that top stair the companion reacts precisely as you expected. Bracing yourself in advance you hold out your arms to welcome him. Luckily he is not a slobbering kisser like some dogs in the neighborhood. He jumps and wrestles you to the ground. Exhausted from the trials of the morning you lie there and your pal just lies next to you. Somehow in the middle of all the excitement he snatched up that funny little furry stuffed whatchamacallit into his mouth and presents it into your face and drops it.

“Let’s play!” he says in his way. He is ready to go.

His sleeping late has helped him conserve all the energy he has. Surprising him you hold onto him firmly with a big hug for a second. Thinking you are ready to play he jumps up, almost breaking your nose, and leans back with fore legs down and that big silly panting smile.

He aggressively wrestles the slobber-coated stuffed toy from your hands and with the wag of a tail he his gone as if to say “Come on, chase me!” You wonder if he realizes that the root of those aches and burning pains that kept him restlessly trying to get comfort on a cool soothing wood floor all night is the cancer that slowly eats away at his insides and how it will never go away.

Remembrance of the early morning trifles evaporates as you become grateful for becoming present to all that matters… now. Smiling you jump after your companion …. and finally the day begins.

                                                              ( for my Otis Redding)

amdg