I am a pretty ‘woo-woo’ person. I love my tarot and crystals, I meditate regularly, and I can trance out playing my drum for hours. All of these practices have helped me to learn much about myself.
Up until recently, however, I ‘never had time’ to really delve into my ‘woo.’ I had to squeeze it in between grading, prepping for classes, feeding and walking the dog, keeping the few plants I own from dying, juggling time with friends and family, trying to get in some reading, music and crafting.
Whew! I got exhausted just typing that all out. It was a lot, and being a ‘responsible’ person, I often prioritized on my obligations to my groups, religious organizations, and friends over my own needs and desires. I mean, I can’t let them down, can I?
Enter COVID. Initially, life was a hot mess of trying to get myself, my course materials, and my brain online. However, once I figured out what had to be done, I got it done, and didn’t worry about dropping balls. Come on—it was a pandemic, so what if I didn’t get a memo done?
And let’s face it, there was very little else to do. Restaurants, gyms, and parks were closed, I couldn’t see friends, all of my clubs and groups had severely curtailed their schedules, and what little was left was on Zoom.
All of a sudden I had … time…
It was such a strange feeling. I had never had time to do what I wanted! I had barely had time to do meet my obligations!!
Usually during spring or summer vacations, when I had a much-needed break from classes, meetings, and grading, I usually traveled or scheduled a number of visits to catch up with friends. I was just as busy as during the school year, just with other stuff. It was all fun, but it was still a jam-packed schedule, only crammed with fun things.
But 2020 was radically different. I had … time…
And I used it to reacquaint myself with my ‘woo’!
I drummed and chanted. I sat on my back patio and just gazed at the birds and squirrels and lizards and clouds. I sat on my patio with my tarot cards until it was too dark to see. I started doing some personal development using astrological tools to provide guidance.
I refocused on eating mindfully. I spent time in the kitchen cooking in an intentional way and I rejoiced in the sacred act of blessing my body with delicious food.
I had always made time to walk a couple of miles every morning with my dog, Sno. That didn’t change, but my attitude did. Instead of just powering up the road, getting in my steps in the quickest way possible, I started to go through the neighborhood more, smiling and saying good morning to all my neighbors. I waved at every car I passed and was so surprised to see how many people waved back!
School begins in a couple of weeks. The fall semester is always my most difficult, with two writing intensive classes. I’m also trying a hybrid model of teaching, with both in-class and online components, for the first time. It’s scary and making it work will take a lot of time.
However, it will not take the half day every week (either Saturday or Sunday), that I am dedicating to my ‘woo.’ I am putting this out to the world in this venue. I am stating it plainly so that I can be called out if I don’t do it.
I commit to holding onto a little piece of the peace I have lived the past few months!
What about you?
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Will comment on your thoughts with my thoughts after I think about it (better than I can at 1am), but meanwhile if you're looking for a nice place to walk Sno, try Denman Estate Park. Loni and I visited for the first time last week, a small park but very pretty, with a lake, duckies, a Korean pagoda, picnic tables, and work-in-progress new rest rooms. Just off Callaghan, a block west of I-10, 10 minutes from our neighborhood when traffic's light.
Bob
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