Mike/snow story

[Guest guest]

Dear Mike

 

Can you share that story about snow in Colorado recently and how you wanted

to play with the kids but instead shoveled snow the whole day long as

substitute and loved it because it allowed you to be one with nature.

 

Thanks

Love

Harsha

[Guest guest]

Harsha writes:

>Dear Mike

>

> Can you share that story about snow in Colorado recently and how you

wanted

>to play with the kids but instead shoveled snow the whole day long as

>substitute and loved it because it allowed you to be one with nature.

 

Gee, Harsha. I know we are all one proton and all (or is it electron?

Trinitron?) but does that have to mean that you know how I spend my

days off? ;-)

 

Actually, I'd be happy to share it. Thanks for asking.

 

It snowed all night Monday (and much of Tuesday) here in Southern

Colorado. We got almost a full foot (0.3 m.) Although snow is not

all that uncommon here, it isn't often that we get this much at once.

 

I have always really liked weather. Snow, rain, sun, hail, pretty much

anything but wind I have really liked. So I was pretty much in heaven.

And my children (twin 6 year old girls) had school called off because

of the snow. I could really stand to learn from their reaction to having

school called off. Whereas I was very excited for them (they didn't

have to go to school but instead were able to stay home) they were

pretty nonchalant about the whole thing, even though they both really

like playing in the snow. But after watching and talking with them I

realized that it wasn't indifference that I saw, but instead a wonderful

example of acceptance. They would have been happy going to school,

and they were happy not going to school. What a cool example of

children doing naturally what some adults (such as myself) do only

with conscious deliberation. But I digress...

 

So I went to work for a few hours, then had the afternoon off. I came

home and decided to shovel the driveway and walk (I've always liked

shoveling snow because it gets me outside being active and can almost

be a mindfulness meditation for me).

 

So I started shoveling the driveway and sidewalk, and I put most all

the snow in a big pile in the middle of my front yard (for my kids to

play with). But when I finished shoveling my own yard, I still wanted

to stay outside. It was a bright, sunny day and I really liked being in

the snow, so I started shoveling the driveways of my neighbors.

 

In actuality, although I looked like I was doing a nice thing (shoveling

my neighbors' driveways) I was really just playing in the snow. Because

it is somewhat unusual to find a 220 pound, 36 year old semi-grown man

spending an afternoon playing in the snow, I shoveled snow (and by doing

so made my behavior a little more "respectable"). I realize that I probably

shouldn't be especially concerned what people think of me, but translating

this knowledge into behaviors and attitudes has been somewhat slow

going for me).

 

So I got to spend the afternoon shoveling snow, playing in the snow, and

playing with my kids. It was wonderful. It very much brought me into

the present moment, and reinforced to me the fact that I am a man truly

blessed.

 

Time and time again recently I have been gently confronted with the

message that what I should be "working on" is not trying to change or

better myself, but instead accepting myself and my life just as it is.

Unfortunately, I tend to intellectualize most everything, often at the

expense of actually living and experiencing life. The afternoon in the

snow was a wonderful reminder to me that I have everything I need (and

more) to be happy and content, if I but slow my life down a little and

enjoy it (rather than trying to rush through a week to enjoy a weekend,

or rush through a day to spend a "quiet" evening at home).

 

Life is good. There is much peace and beauty, if I but look for it.

Sometimes it takes a big catastrophe to blast me out of my rut. This

time all it took was some snow and some time off (and a couple of

living reminders of mindfulness and love in the form of my wonderful

daughters).

 

Thanks for inviting me to share, Harsha. If anyone wants to come over

to my house and play in the snow, you are cordially invited to come over

and play (even the list Dominatrixs [whatever the plural is... it's not in

my dictionary... maybe Angelique can help me out] are invited). Feel free

to come any time... I anticipate that the pile of snow I made won't melt

until mid-June. ;-P

 

Take care my friends, and be peaceful-

 

Mike