Thursdays are the new Saturday

Lately I am drawn to Julia Cameron‘s facebook posts, single-line emissions  dense with wisdom, as if they hold the The Ultimate Solution. Of course, every single one is fodder for reflection, a catalyst for assessing and reframing, but it was Wendy Thomas’s post about a recent Writers’ Retreat at a Buddhist center that really rocked me out of my rut. My takeaway from Wendy’s weekend of silence is the incredibly simple but profound, “when I stopped hearing other people’s voices, I started hearing my own.” As someone who has a long history of getting into trouble for chatting in school and on the job, this struck home.

I could whine about the time-hogging aspects that are my very own jumble of responsibilities, I could tell you all about how they leave me feeling drained and perfectly uninspired, but who doesn’t have those, right? Boring. A waste of good energy, frankly.

So what to do with this new-found notion of taking time out for silence? Hello, Thursday! Saturdays have always felt bright and full of possibility, so a reframe of an ordinary weekday into a Saturday feels fresh.

I have spent the morning with yarn and thread, embroidering these mittens, and feel ever so energized. It meant staying put and not running out to the gym. That’s a trade-off, for sure. It would be so much easier to stay in motion on my day off; sitting still takes effort. But if being uncomfortable is the gateway to discovery, I’m willing. No one to talk to here, except for the pets, so the lid on chatter has been easy. But, should this cone of silence include answering messages on facebook? Probably. There’s always room for refinement, isn’t there?!

On the idea of staying quiet, there’s a young man from Nashua, NH, who has committed to a year of silence and walking as a form of performance art! This video interview explains Greg Hindy’s story behind his endeavor. If you want to know more, his father has set up a group facebook page that follows Greg’s trek as he walks cross-country. Greg is journaling the experience with black-and-white film photography; a post-performance reveal promises to be fascinating.

I’ll leave you with a quick snap of Corabelle, getting cozy with the as-yet-unfinished African Flower crochet afghan.