Was able to sit on a porch this morning, listening to the birds sing. Surrounded by beautiful silence. Then I started to think…
Why is it that man is hiding from our wild things. So many of us retreat behind a 6″ touch screen that we have forgotten who we are.
Listen to the birds. When was the last time you sat on a porch, listening to the birds sing their songs of glory as the sun rises? No matter the species singing, it is always beautiful and peaceful. When did you allow the techno-demon to be silenced for a moment to reflect. E. Urner Goodman, who founded the Order of the Arrow explained that “Moments spent in thoughtful silence are worth more than days and days of talking.” Listening to the birds sitting on a porch is one of the ways that I have been able to engage in that thoughtful silence. In dealing with questions of death and dying and more importantly, how to fully live every day of my life.
When was the last time to were able to listen to “The Sound of Silence” as Simon and Garfunkel called it. For me that means getting to a workout early, like 20 minutes early and just standing. Looking up at the stars can be a humbling experience. It reminds me that I am 3rd. That the stars were here long before we were. It takes being surrounded by the out of doors to make me humble. To remove myself from man’s arrogance of building great things to enjoy what was here before us. It means that I have to go where my wild things are…to truly enjoy life.