We are all hustling around with the kids’ schedules, work, family commitments, second jobs, sitting at the train tracks anxiously pounding the steering wheel, (which by the way does not make the train go by any faster), or just aimlessly driving around trying to find the cheapest, expensive gas. Why is it when someone asks us: “If you’re not too busy could you…..?” We tell them; “No problem, I can make time for that.”I read several books at a time because I’m one of those people that doesn’t have enough time to get through the entire book and yet I don’t want to miss anything either. As a result, I have at least 10 books scattered around the house, bookmarks nestled within their first few chapters, waiting for me to pick them up once again. My friend Fred can tell you how excited I get whe I actually finish reading a book…..all I want to do is discuss, and those around me are forced to participate in the discussion. Now it seems I have more people around me and I am thrilled by the possibilities that might come forth.

The book I finished most recently has to do with Amercians and how our capitalist, more-more-more society is ruining our ability to have truly close relationships with family, with our kids, and my personal favorite: with new relationships. The focus: our inability to slow down and get to know ourselves before we can really get to know one another.

Kind of deep for me too, I’m a simple gal by nature, but the author challenged me with a little exercise, and you know how it is ….I can’t say no. This is all you need to do, I urge you to try this. Sit quietly in a quiet spot, no TV, no books, no music, no other people, no noise, no beverages; clear your mind completely and picture a blank screen only….with no other thoughts….for 20 minutes every day.

Okay so, first of all, 20 minutes? Who has 20 minutes of free time? I don’t know about you, but you might as well have asked me to take a sabbatical and go backpacking across Europe for a year. Secondly, a quiet spot without noise? Where is that exactly? It’s only myself and my daughter in the house and according to our Mayor, it’s kind of boring out here in Morse Bluff, so you would think finding a moment of peace woudn’t be that difficult and yet, somehow it’s virtually impossible. Thirdly, the things I need to do next in the day just keep creeping up on my blank screen, in block form, with little boxes to the left of them. My mental checklist is putting mental pressure on me to mentally check things off….it even happens when I’m sleeping!

So I guess my point would be this, pardon my over-simplification of this author’s intentions. If we are going to have this writer/reader relationship, you need to know up front that I am, obviously, far too busy to get to know myself …so we will never really reach that deep level of interpersonal understanding. If it doesn’t bother you ….I’m okay with an honest, take-me-at-face-value kind of connection….in this day and age, I think it’s better than no connection at all.

For those of you out there who were able to say “No” to the exercise challenge….how did you do that?

—North Bend Eagle: 6 Sep 2006