Musing

today’s Musing written and published from south Calgary, near Fish Creek Park

walk report: -1C/30F, overcast, runny nose (mine not Gusta’s) and brisk NE wind contributed to lots of hustle on a short walk, Gusta traded hellos with a Scottie, Schnauzer and Newfoundland while witnessing a daily conference of rabbits ringing the soccer fields

I don’t know much about chicken/egg scenarios, but we certainly live in a world where we are conditioned by society, if not by Madison Avenue, to believe that things are the source of happiness, things are needed, we all need those things and we cannot survive without them or the economy that provides them

Hafiz, the Rumi poet of 13th century ancient Persia wrote this which somehow is so beautiful in English the mind boggles at how something poetic in one language could be poetic and beautiful in another but it is:

‘I can think of no greater devotion
Than to be shore to your ocean.’

walking beaches, our footprints of any depth quickly vanish in the surf of life, as if we were never there – but then, in a way, we’ve left no scar or evidence of being there if we tread gently on the earth

I could probably survive on a deserted island without much; I could find a way to do the things I need to do, to make do with what I had at my disposal – but doing them without a purpose would be empty; survival of course, but beyond survival, what do I need?

recent months have been time for thinking over choices - consolidation time, preparing for change, eliminating duplication - seeing many things in my pool of possession as ‘no longer required’, obsolete or redundant; so many accumulations that are just not no longer important, many never were; the best treasures have been saved or given away to a good home so someone else can benefit from them as much as I have

I’ve wondered how many spatulas I need, how many PB needs – surely we need many, but how many; how many plates or spoons or chairs or gardening gloves do we need?

I sat yesterday in my dad’s condo/apartment, looking around at the remains of his lifetime of consumerism, his keepsakes, his critical necessities – I realize we are going through exactly the same processes as different points on the continuum; just as doing his tax return gets simpler every year, so does his footprint in terms of needs for things, needs for a place to put them – his place needs a purge too

I’m aware of ‘reducing carbon footprint’ issues – recycling, burning less fuel, wasting less, making different purchase choices – but most of my thinking has been focused more on ‘my physical footprint’, my amount of required space for my things; I like things, I like comfort - but what do I really need beyond internet access, a computer, shorts, t-shirts, golf clubs and a place in Maui to cook?

cleaning – yard, closet or purging our system – common thread of ridding unwanted debris, leftover and worn out goods, cleansing ourselves of choices gone wrong – the thing we bought but never wore, gadget we never used, trendy things long gone out of fashion; for me it is more than spring cleaning - reducing my baggage, lessening the footprint

spring yard clean up debris greets the garbage truck this morning; like me, moving a little slow – it has been a busy week for both of us - each street and cul-de-sac laneway rife with green bags bulging with leaves and clippings as crews have been aerating, fertilizing and sprucing up in hopes warm soil rebirthing of spring greenery will make it all worthwhile – it overwhelms routine household garbage and kitty litter dispositions, it swamps the norm in a large dump – no doubt this will continue for weeks as the garage cleanings, basement purges and closet routings take place

I imagine creating shelter from weather, making some paths, finding a good place to write with a view to the world around me; I imagine t-shirts and shorts will keep me warm enough, something to cover my head and companions, a dog and butterfly, to walk the beach with; some people leave their footprints on the sand, some leave them on our hearts; I like footprints, imprints, shores and oceans

Mark Kolke
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... with your voice, teach in order to learn


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