Such a lovely day! The weather is cold but clear and David, the painter, is working on the deck. Before he arrived, I went to the library and got a bunch of delicious reading material. I knew I wanted to treat myself to lunch, but couldn’t decide where to go.
The traffic told me where NOT to go, so by default I ended up trying a new restaurant. It was a most perfect lunch. A blackened fish sandwich with fries and hot coffee. There was a loaf of warm bread with pesto dipping sauce, but I ate only one piece and brought the rest of the loaf home for Rob. He has been out of town a few days with friends and will be back tonight.
Later today, my trusty maids will come and clean house, leaving me with an evening of watching TV and reading. I must say that getting older has its benefits.
Yesterday I saw that this incredibly dippy fellow that blathers on about non-duality is getting tons of views on his YouTube talks. Such a waste of people’s time. I am understanding that Vernon Howard was right. If you attract a huge following, you are catering and pandering to what people want to hear. What is that, you say? It is anything that makes you feel good about yourself. He does it by saying how he can wake people up. They bite and claim to be “woke.” I am coming to detest that word.
I am not “woke.” Far from it. I am of the Leonard Cohen school of thought. It is a cold and broken hallelujah I offer in my words. There are breaks in the dismal weather, for sure. Today was such a day. But there are nights when I lie awake all night, struck with the mystery of the void.
My life is void of things it used to have. Perhaps yours is, too. Death erases people as surely as birth creates them. If we do not honor both poles, we are missing the boat. Half my family lies sleeping in the graveyard. It is only right that I acknowledge the emptiness their leaving left.
On the other hand, I have known deep and lasting love. I share that with Vicki, whom I took to lunch today. She really appreciated it, just as she does her willingness to endure unto the end. She raised her coffee cup to the empty space across from her lunch table. Bob Woodyard, may he rest in peace, must be jubilant when I succeed in having a happy day. They deeply matter.
L’haim,
Vicki Woodyard