I had the opportunity very recently to indulge in a – these days- quite rare pleasure.
Hours of untrammelled, unsubscribed, freewheeling conversation. The kind of rambing exchange that stretches across youth and age, familly and health, lives been and might have been, humour and pathos, the shape of history and the march of time, and the price of bread. (well maybe the price of wine then).
A thought provoking, and yet life affirming exchange, with a very old friend over a remarkably small amount of drink (changed days indeed).
We talked of deeds done and goals unfinished, – in truth my life is somewhat littered with half worked “good ideas” – and spoke of the value of doing and the importance of seeking out events where one may “flow” – that “being while doing” – that perhaps you find in your guitar solo, or your hillwalk, or your chess game, or your bechemel sauce preparation… while at once actually encompassing the idea with our conversation (“where did the time go?”).
I like to write, and sometimes, even on these pages I can find a, an absorbtion which goes beyond the simple mechanic of typing. I like to play music, but in truth, it’s seldom that I actually perform, and I like to create, whether building with my own labour (I can be quite handy in a pinch) or by manipulation of ideas and mechanism.
These are the things I should do, not just do, but actively seek out and pursue the opportunity to do them. And in my head I find there is an echo from my own ruminations, that many of my “incomplete projects – on the back burner” – should be brought forwards, after all, I do not have endless time in which to complete them- no-one does.
Perhaps sometimes you need to just talk till all the distraction has been expelled so you can actually see the more solid pieces remaining?
And we spoke of gratitude, a topic I’ve touched on before, an how perhaps we (irreligious) have no structure on which to formalise our “thanks giving”, and yet it is perhaps the most important antidote to the endless negative deluge that daily surrounds us.
Where am I going with this? I don’t really know, but I thought I’d share in case anyone else can find something they might need here.
Thank you for istening.
Next week on IaDL – Darkly cynical I promise
Dalmallyfest the Asylum 