[2016-08-26] Vacation

Vacation. What is it? Relaxation? Adventure? Time to do all those things you normally don’t have time for? Emptying yourself? Filling yourself?

I sit here by a pool, a beautiful companion by my side and realize how much I struggle to get away from it all, in peace. What is ‘it all?’ Working for the man? Chores? Nagging? Family? Urban areas?

I would suspect we all see it differently. I was a big proponent of watching earlier generations and seeing how they handled it. One thing that hit me years ago was how people worked so hard to retire. They worked hard to get to a time where they could finally do the things that fulfill their life only to find out that they’re not physically able to do them anymore.

This was one reason I started taking time out regularly to enjoy life. As a wise lady once said, “No job is worth your life.” Thank you Janet. Those wise words in the middle of a grocery store have stuck with me ever since.

For me, there is no possible vacation in any urban area. I prefer to be somewhere away from other people, machines, or the like – mostly using distance, but trees help. Urban areas (read urban as any grouping of buildings with people) are vexing but fun places to visit when some interesting event passes through them – like any marketplace.

I know that a lot of people buy cottages and cabins to go on vacation. Most of me just thinks that living in that cottage or cabin would be far better than visiting it once a year to recoup all that we lose from being in an urban area.

The one drawback to being in rural areas is that urban people move out and make it just like the urban area they left. No joke, just down the road from here, some suburbanite moved in, cut down all the trees and started complaining about the flooding (flooding the trees had kept from happening). I admit that they keep their lawn very orderly with proper edging. They then proceeded to become part of a movement to stop nearby farmers from laying manure. They brought out a couple more suburbanites to build houses right beside them…. I guess to protect themselves from the beautiful peace of nature. Neighborhood Watch (gossip line) and by-laws started up. You can’t do this or that without rhyme or reason.

True peace seems hard to find in a fast paced culture. We rarely realize that just a few provinces away, people take it easy and don’t feel so rushed.

Peace of heart, body and soul? Sometimes the body does things we can’t control. Our heart (emotions) can be even more unpredictable. Our mind we control. It’s who we really are; our soul. I think it’s through the mind that we can choose peace.

It doesn’t sound romantic to say this, but a long peaceful life doesn’t come from following your heart but by making good choices with your mind. Your heart is like a kite in the wind but it will follow your mind if you choose to guide it.

Fire and ice? Passion does bring with it highs and lows however it’s also possible to maintain a nice plateau for long periods of time. Not being depressed or deliriously happy, but being truly at peace. In order to find this plateau and stay there, we seem to need a strong foundation for when the winds and waves bombard us in an endless stream of adversity.

Seek your peace. It may take days or decades but it’s worth the adventure.