Saturday, April 27, 2019

The Buddha, the Screen Free Week and my kitchen floor

This coming week, April 28, is Screen Free Week. Who knew, right? The main idea is for parents with kids but everyone is encouraged to try: stay off all screens, including TV, go outside, play board games, read stories, talk to spouses, family, friends. Sounds absolutely next to impossible for most of us yet also very enticing. I don't know how much I'll follow through on this, not out of any FOMO syndrome but more out of "damn!  giving up another bad habit". 

Monday I will be six months cigarette free. I purposely quit before the midterm elections, figuring if I could get through that without smoking, I could do anything. Well, the first part was obviously true; the second part turned into something else entirely. I couldn't do anything; I found my limitations early. Shocker.

I remember, but cannot find, some quote about brooms and sweeping, by Thich Nhat Hanh, probably the only Buddhist who ever made sense to me with my constantly churning mind. I also remember years ago reading his book "Anger: Wisdom for Cooling the Flames" when I wasn't nearly as non stop outraged as I am today. In retrospect, I should've reopened that book in 2016 after the election and sat with myself before acting. Well, I'm still here and it's right by my side. It's time to get reacquainted.

I remember as a child growing up in a large family in the 50s among other large families who didn't coddle their kids, insisted on chores at all ages, practiced swift punishment for transgressions and let us have the run of the neighborhood after the work was done. We had little black and white screens and about 3 boring channels. We were a tight little community of 14 identical houses on an asphalt road northwest of Pittsburgh. Saturdays were chore days and one of the worst was scrubbing the kitchen floor. Cheap linoleum, square by square, and with that rough harsh bar soap a parent would probably be arrested for these days for just having it in the house. When a friend was behind on kitchen floor scrubbing, we went over to help so we could all go out to play quicker. There was never any question of this and each of us knew each other's kitchens intimately. How weird that that feels like a loss now.

Today I got down on my creaky knees and scrubbed  my kitchen floor; not out of any sense of mindfulness or longing for a past simpler life. I have a big long haired dog who drags in incredible amounts of dirt. Hiring a steam cleaner isn't the same as doing it myself because I know where the bad spots are. It took two hours. It looks freakin amazing. I feel deeply fulfilled and proud.

How often can we say that about our days? Deeply fulfilled and proud. I guess I should just keep an eye out for more of these mundane opportunities and step into those gaps. It led me back to a book I should've re-read 3 years ago and cannot wait to start again. And I know where my bad spots are.






1 Comments:

Blogger Nana Lorena Royer said...

Well, I'm so proud of you for being 6 months cigarette-free--that is a biggie!

8:31 AM  

Post a Comment

<< Home