A Good View of Doing….
New routes to new lessons to a good view ("mia kali thea")
…nothing. He was just sitting at his clean desk with only a small desk lamp to light the dark room. And, it was quiet—no radio, no TV, no computer. After a long day of travel, this was the scene we saw that evening when we walked into my 93 year old father-in-law’s assisted living apartment. It looked so sad and lonely.
Or was it?
We were talking about the scene later. Why wasn’t he reading or watching the news or working a puzzle…anything?
I’m a victim to my own need for noise and things to do. I simply don’t sit in the quiet and wait—for thoughts & feelings to arise, to listen—to the sounds in my heart or out the window, to doze, to dream, for kids to arrive.
We have so many options available to teach us how to make the most of our time, to “be still,” to “sit in the silence,” to meditate and to breathe. I often want to take a break for “doing nothing” but why is it so difficult to sit for a few minutes, to relax and take time—in the quiet. What am I afraid of?
Deep down, perhaps I think it’s sad and lonely and wasteful to have nothing to do. If I listen to my fear, what if I hear: “I don’t matter or have anything meaningful to contribute” or “I’m wasting my time”? What if I simply listen…and get clarification of my thoughts, feelings and ideas? What if I simply enjoy the peace?
I don’t know if he was thinking great thoughts, dreaming dreams or if he felt sad and lonely; but I can follow his example—to sit in the quiet in an uncluttered space and wait.
Where did I find mia kali thea that evening?
In a dark and quiet room where my sweet father-in-law waited to welcome us with a hug. (And I think he considers us a good view too.)
Maybe doing nothing is about being quiet—and waiting for what arrives!
In any case, it is very important to be idle with confidence, with devotion, possibly even with joy. The days when even our hands do not stir are so exceptionally quiet that it is hardly possible to raise them without hearing a whole lot.”