holiday
Well, I know it’s a holiday. It could have been the lack of commuter traffic on the way down here this morning. It might be the reduced ferry traffic between the islands. If nothing else, the clientele is noticeably different in my caffeinated hideout. The “usuals” are not to be seen. The machinery is a bit quieter this morning. It’s just a handful of my friendly retirees who have found me again, chattering away about the unusual phenomenon known as a winning streak for our “Mariners”. There is no one around with any real kind of employment, save the faithful baristas who man (or woman) their posts.
It’s a different kind of feeling for me, sort of what I imagine it would be like if I played hooky from my community o’ faith on any given Sunday morning. So this is how the “other half” lives. Or should I say, the “other 90%” in this part of the country. It’s peaceful here, at least it is when my headphones are in place with “The Boss” flowing through my brain. I’m sure that there are better words to describe it. I could call it sedate. You might say that it’s relaxed. I could play with the words all that I like, but the feeling would still be the same. I like it. That’s why I choose to be here even on a holiday. The rest of my family feel that being home in bed at this ungodly hour is much more peaceful, sedate, relaxing and logical. I’m blessed with being a morning person, and it’s mornings like these when I appreciate that the most. Besides, when I get home I have a deck to finish. They’ll be grateful that I’m pounding on these keys instead of those nails at this time of day. I’m up anyway, might as well get some work accomplished. They are always telling me that I need to relax, so here I am, the deck can wait another hour or so. I’m enjoying the holiday.
I’ve considered the concept of relaxing a great deal. I appreciate it, and I’ll admit that I admire more than I let on the ones who seem to have it mastered. I can tend to be critical about the ones who don’t do well with it, until I look in the mirror. I’m not a good relaxer. I guess that relaxer isn’t even a word since I have this red underline on my screen now each time I try to type it. When I observe the concept, it can seem to be a bit confusing to me. I picture it as a complete surrender of body, mind, and soul to a sense of timelessness and rest. I can usually surrender one of the previous three and perhaps on a really good day I can surrender two of the three, but never all of them at once.
For example, I tend to use physical labor a means to relaxation. I used to, in a former life, always have some sort of vehicle in a garage which I would periodically go out and pound on with an assortment of tools. Eventually, despite my efforts to the contrary, said vehicle would be roadworthy, and I would sell it, usually to buy another and begin the process over again. It was a great way for me to clear my mind. This weekend I am constructing the fore mentioned deck. It seems like a great American holiday thing to do. Building something while cooking out on the grill. My soul is somewhat being refreshed through the experience, but certainly not my body. At this point in my life, my body is more in tune with grilling than hammering.
The only relaxing that I seem to be able to accomplish for my physical self involves an incredible couch in my living room and a good book. The book lasts about 5 minutes, but the nap that ensues closely resembles life on a cloud.
I read “In The Beginning” in the Book of Books about the creation account six days of work/creativity and one of relaxing. I’m not sure how it was accomplished. I wonder if on the seventh day when God rested, was it a physical rest? Was it a mental rest? After all the creative genius behind all of this is rather impressive and I can imagine quite taxing. Was it a spiritual rest, like playing hooky on a Sunday morning? Did He accomplish all three in one day. I guess that I’ll find out one day. Personally, I’m of the opinion that it will be on that day that I finally experience the reality of relaxing. All three will finally be accomplished in one place at one time, for all time to come. And according to The Book, even the deck will be already built for me.
It’s a different kind of feeling for me, sort of what I imagine it would be like if I played hooky from my community o’ faith on any given Sunday morning. So this is how the “other half” lives. Or should I say, the “other 90%” in this part of the country. It’s peaceful here, at least it is when my headphones are in place with “The Boss” flowing through my brain. I’m sure that there are better words to describe it. I could call it sedate. You might say that it’s relaxed. I could play with the words all that I like, but the feeling would still be the same. I like it. That’s why I choose to be here even on a holiday. The rest of my family feel that being home in bed at this ungodly hour is much more peaceful, sedate, relaxing and logical. I’m blessed with being a morning person, and it’s mornings like these when I appreciate that the most. Besides, when I get home I have a deck to finish. They’ll be grateful that I’m pounding on these keys instead of those nails at this time of day. I’m up anyway, might as well get some work accomplished. They are always telling me that I need to relax, so here I am, the deck can wait another hour or so. I’m enjoying the holiday.
I’ve considered the concept of relaxing a great deal. I appreciate it, and I’ll admit that I admire more than I let on the ones who seem to have it mastered. I can tend to be critical about the ones who don’t do well with it, until I look in the mirror. I’m not a good relaxer. I guess that relaxer isn’t even a word since I have this red underline on my screen now each time I try to type it. When I observe the concept, it can seem to be a bit confusing to me. I picture it as a complete surrender of body, mind, and soul to a sense of timelessness and rest. I can usually surrender one of the previous three and perhaps on a really good day I can surrender two of the three, but never all of them at once.
For example, I tend to use physical labor a means to relaxation. I used to, in a former life, always have some sort of vehicle in a garage which I would periodically go out and pound on with an assortment of tools. Eventually, despite my efforts to the contrary, said vehicle would be roadworthy, and I would sell it, usually to buy another and begin the process over again. It was a great way for me to clear my mind. This weekend I am constructing the fore mentioned deck. It seems like a great American holiday thing to do. Building something while cooking out on the grill. My soul is somewhat being refreshed through the experience, but certainly not my body. At this point in my life, my body is more in tune with grilling than hammering.
The only relaxing that I seem to be able to accomplish for my physical self involves an incredible couch in my living room and a good book. The book lasts about 5 minutes, but the nap that ensues closely resembles life on a cloud.
I read “In The Beginning” in the Book of Books about the creation account six days of work/creativity and one of relaxing. I’m not sure how it was accomplished. I wonder if on the seventh day when God rested, was it a physical rest? Was it a mental rest? After all the creative genius behind all of this is rather impressive and I can imagine quite taxing. Was it a spiritual rest, like playing hooky on a Sunday morning? Did He accomplish all three in one day. I guess that I’ll find out one day. Personally, I’m of the opinion that it will be on that day that I finally experience the reality of relaxing. All three will finally be accomplished in one place at one time, for all time to come. And according to The Book, even the deck will be already built for me.
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