The Sense of Just Being
We work smart and we play hard. Then we long for a time out with no structure, no deadlines, no compulsion and no limitations.
The day begun with passing rainy showers with the occasional lightning. I could hear rumblings from the sky, and felt the heavy weight of humidity hanging there, undecided and restless. Never mind, what a good opportunity to have a lazy start on a Saturday morning.
When I had enough of being in a state of neither full sleep nor an awakened state, I made the coffee and got mesmerised by the on-going and live reporting on telly from two different cities in southern Asia. Travellers frantic on getting out of a city airport that had been occupied by protesters in their thousands. Hotel guests trapped in the rooms they checked in a few nights ago but only now had been released by police and the army. What has the world come to?
I lazed around the lounge reading for leisure, instead of some required purpose. The skies still looked dark and uneasy outside. I loved looking at the wet grass and plants outside through the clear glass - and wondered what the bugs, snails and insects were up to after a rather messy and wet night. This was like Friday afternoons at the end of a long and tiring school week - I was dwelling again totally immersed in the art of just being.
Then it was time to get the chores done. Oh ya, how long was this bliss to last?
Anthony at K Mart in Shellharbour gave me a big smile as I sauntered up to his check out counter to pay something. He had been working all morning and still carried on a benign look of welcome to me. Okay, all my chores for that day were completed.
Back to the sense of just being.
At Sydney's Rhodes, I ran around the display of new season cherries, peaches and nectarines. I had a scheduled appointment late in the evening for dinner, so I gave myself a treat of mid-afternoon tea, with pannarocca cake and cappuccino at a cafe. No hassles, no need to make small conversation - I was just in transit from Wollongong on the way to Eastwood, 90 km away one way.
I was on a roll - why not do some light shopping? I locked my intended purchases in a collapsible food cover, an upmarket onion cutter that promises no tears and a filtered water bottle. I could imagine for whom some of these items could be for.
At Eastwood Mall, before dinner, I went on an exotic groceries and food shopping rampage - getting durians, durian flavoured cake and fresh noodles, things more difficult to get in my neighbourhood.
And then the rain and thunder came back around twilight. I was lucky, I was already enjoying a Hong Kong styled course sit down dinner hosted by a niece. There were visiting relatives in town and what a good way to dabble back in relaxing conversation. No deadlines, no pressure. I could just be myself.
The day begun with passing rainy showers with the occasional lightning. I could hear rumblings from the sky, and felt the heavy weight of humidity hanging there, undecided and restless. Never mind, what a good opportunity to have a lazy start on a Saturday morning.
When I had enough of being in a state of neither full sleep nor an awakened state, I made the coffee and got mesmerised by the on-going and live reporting on telly from two different cities in southern Asia. Travellers frantic on getting out of a city airport that had been occupied by protesters in their thousands. Hotel guests trapped in the rooms they checked in a few nights ago but only now had been released by police and the army. What has the world come to?
I lazed around the lounge reading for leisure, instead of some required purpose. The skies still looked dark and uneasy outside. I loved looking at the wet grass and plants outside through the clear glass - and wondered what the bugs, snails and insects were up to after a rather messy and wet night. This was like Friday afternoons at the end of a long and tiring school week - I was dwelling again totally immersed in the art of just being.
Then it was time to get the chores done. Oh ya, how long was this bliss to last?
Anthony at K Mart in Shellharbour gave me a big smile as I sauntered up to his check out counter to pay something. He had been working all morning and still carried on a benign look of welcome to me. Okay, all my chores for that day were completed.
Back to the sense of just being.
At Sydney's Rhodes, I ran around the display of new season cherries, peaches and nectarines. I had a scheduled appointment late in the evening for dinner, so I gave myself a treat of mid-afternoon tea, with pannarocca cake and cappuccino at a cafe. No hassles, no need to make small conversation - I was just in transit from Wollongong on the way to Eastwood, 90 km away one way.
I was on a roll - why not do some light shopping? I locked my intended purchases in a collapsible food cover, an upmarket onion cutter that promises no tears and a filtered water bottle. I could imagine for whom some of these items could be for.
At Eastwood Mall, before dinner, I went on an exotic groceries and food shopping rampage - getting durians, durian flavoured cake and fresh noodles, things more difficult to get in my neighbourhood.
And then the rain and thunder came back around twilight. I was lucky, I was already enjoying a Hong Kong styled course sit down dinner hosted by a niece. There were visiting relatives in town and what a good way to dabble back in relaxing conversation. No deadlines, no pressure. I could just be myself.
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