Lifesaver

Lifeguard at Dishman pool, reopened today after two weeks' annual maintenance. (SOOC.)

Blipfoto's motto is 'Save your life.' I.e., use this corner of cyberspace as a diary, a scrapbook, a photo album.

Journals can do all that, but it's not their most important function. They can be lifesavers. As others before me have said, "How can I know what I think until I see what I write?"

The Dean once, no, twice told me that I write my life forward, by which he meant that through my writing I discover my path. He mentioned the other person he knows who does this, Marcus Borg, which was rather flattering. But I don't think you have to be a world-famous theologian to do what I do! You just have to be willing to tell the truth to yourself about what you know and what you don't know. And ask for help.

Yesterday I gave myself a lifesaving day off. I put my shoulds on the shelf and let myself meander. I watched three beautiful short films about the artist & mystic William Segal and took notes (below). And I wandered through blips for hours, feeling grateful to be part of this amazing community.

In the process, I discovered a kindred spirit, Fluffikens, a recent widow who is also writing her life forward. Her writing is so beautiful and so honest that I feel honored to be invited to read it and inspired to try making my own as taut and elegant.

I didn't leave the house until twilight. I took scads of pictures of the lights in Jamison Square, and then took forever to choose the one that best represented my intention. I must have succeeded, judging by the stars and generous comments - thank you all! I left an appreciation for Fluffikens and copied it into my computer journal along with my notes on William Segal.

I awoke this morning feeling that my life has been restored. I have new legs to stand on. I can step forth with confidence on the path I've written for myself.

LEGS: DDW September 3 challenge

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WILLIAM SEGAL 1904-2000. Painter, writer, mystic.
from “Seeing, Searching, Being: 3 films on William Segal” by Ken Burns

Forget everything except what's here now in front of you because only by being here are you able to tap the full resources of your whole self. Otherwise the distraction of thought eats up energies that could be used and applied to your work.

The effort to be here, to maintain attention for a sustained period of time, dispels the clouds that obscure luminosity. I would like to apply myself wholeheartedly to the moment, to the job which is in front of me - not only for painting, but for everything. When I pick up the paintbrush or when I do anything, when I speak now, I would like to be entirely here despite the distractions of the mind. That's very much the secret of any good work

It's only in a moment of stillness that you're aware of the other life within you.

It all comes down to a question of being attentive. If you give attention to this moment you begin to be in touch with the body, to know your feet are touching the floor, and then to be aware of the onset of emotion, and always to be attentively watching.

What more can we ask of ourselves than to live wholeheartedly? So, flowing the way of being engaged in life, you may have moments of, Ah! This is what is meant by being whole, even holy! Everything is important: there is no inner, there is no outer.

This (exhibit of my lithographs) proves that there are no insignificant objects. Nothing is too small. So I like to draw these little things and show the life in the things all around us all the time.

All ways lead to life. I don’t discriminate between the monastery, the church, the synagogue, and life itself.

Arrangements of fruits and vegetables in the market indicate to me that there's an inborn drive toward the aesthetic.

Within each individual human being there is the spark of the divine. There really is! But we have been trained to ignore it, we don't know how to be in touch with it, except at special moments. When you don't want anything, when you're not grasping, when you can be still interiorly, you are then open to this fullness which is all around us.

The moment I die to myself, the moment I throw myself away, joy - even ecstasy - bursts through me. I can say yes to everything I affirm as my existence. All the world is fine just as it is.

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