Happy belated trip around the sun, Sara. I’m so glad to read your update. The agency with which you’ve navigated hard decisions makes you YOU. I’m fascinated and intrigued by your journey. Keep it up. And hope to see you soon.
Sep 13, 2022·edited Sep 13, 2022Liked by Sara Campbell
I retired in April 2020; it'd been planned and committed to for years, but, given my druthers, I probably would NOT have chosen that month and year to "go quiet." Still, there I was. And it gave me a chance to reflect on something I'd considered for a while (but still haven't acted on): getting a tattoo.
Specifically, the design I had in mind was a pair of Chinese characters for a phrase, "wu wei," which I'd seen translated as (among other things) "sitting quietly, doing nothing." You can see the ideograms here:
Here's how I described those characters in a blog post at the time: "The first, 'wu,' is derived from a picture of a human with empty hands, splayed fingers. The second, 'wei,' is to me the more interesting: it comes from an ideogram of a human hand leading an elephant by its trunk. Put together, the two thus say to me: 'letting the elephant go where it will.'"
You have an exceptional journal, Sara, made no less exceptional for the rarity and thoughtfulness of your posts. You're doing fine, and I (we) trust that will continue for a long, long time. Thanks so much for Tiny Revolutions!
Sounds like you're in a good place. I'm intrigued by the Zen idea and was interested when you said that practicing with others is a way to get better. I'm failing pretty hard with meditation and would like to get better at it. I'll give the idea of 'with others' some thought. Thanks for that.
Very timely and accurate assessment of what's been going on for everyone (I feel) the past few years. Good on you for being brave enough to recognise those hard decisions that have a bunch of cons and only a few pros, and still having the tenacity to pull the trigger. Did something similar recently and understand all too well. Thanks again and all the best,
I have so many thoughts! But they haven’t congealed entirely yet. So, I’m saying I’ll be back tomorrow (or maybe Tuesday) to make me remember to do that.
What a sweet story! I did something similar-different during the pandemic--had my Worldanz teacher move into my Garaj Mahal. After her first night, I got an emergency call from our friend whose older husband with Alzheimer's had her pinned to the ground, thinking she was a roommate who'd stolen his car. So she moved in while we sorted that out. It wasn't exactly meditation: we did circuit training and Voguing on the walkway, zoom-cast the class 3X a week with costumes and props, and danced on park lawns and in empty church halls. We did Muppet Bollywood, Jane Fonda twerkouts, and re-enacted the Titanic on the night Santa Cruz was burning. It kept more than a few people sane and connected. And then it was time for a change.
Transitions are rarely easy but it sounds like you're trusting your path. I'm sure it will lead you to the next sweet home.
Happy belated trip around the sun, Sara. I’m so glad to read your update. The agency with which you’ve navigated hard decisions makes you YOU. I’m fascinated and intrigued by your journey. Keep it up. And hope to see you soon.
I retired in April 2020; it'd been planned and committed to for years, but, given my druthers, I probably would NOT have chosen that month and year to "go quiet." Still, there I was. And it gave me a chance to reflect on something I'd considered for a while (but still haven't acted on): getting a tattoo.
Specifically, the design I had in mind was a pair of Chinese characters for a phrase, "wu wei," which I'd seen translated as (among other things) "sitting quietly, doing nothing." You can see the ideograms here:
https://johnesimpson.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/wuwei.png
Here's how I described those characters in a blog post at the time: "The first, 'wu,' is derived from a picture of a human with empty hands, splayed fingers. The second, 'wei,' is to me the more interesting: it comes from an ideogram of a human hand leading an elephant by its trunk. Put together, the two thus say to me: 'letting the elephant go where it will.'"
You have an exceptional journal, Sara, made no less exceptional for the rarity and thoughtfulness of your posts. You're doing fine, and I (we) trust that will continue for a long, long time. Thanks so much for Tiny Revolutions!
Pros and Cons list are so indispensable. Here's to trusting your gut and the road ahead!
Sara! Thank you for recommending my newsletter! I'm really grateful for the shoutout. Loved this essay as well.
Sounds like you're in a good place. I'm intrigued by the Zen idea and was interested when you said that practicing with others is a way to get better. I'm failing pretty hard with meditation and would like to get better at it. I'll give the idea of 'with others' some thought. Thanks for that.
Very timely and accurate assessment of what's been going on for everyone (I feel) the past few years. Good on you for being brave enough to recognise those hard decisions that have a bunch of cons and only a few pros, and still having the tenacity to pull the trigger. Did something similar recently and understand all too well. Thanks again and all the best,
Nick
I have so many thoughts! But they haven’t congealed entirely yet. So, I’m saying I’ll be back tomorrow (or maybe Tuesday) to make me remember to do that.
What a sweet story! I did something similar-different during the pandemic--had my Worldanz teacher move into my Garaj Mahal. After her first night, I got an emergency call from our friend whose older husband with Alzheimer's had her pinned to the ground, thinking she was a roommate who'd stolen his car. So she moved in while we sorted that out. It wasn't exactly meditation: we did circuit training and Voguing on the walkway, zoom-cast the class 3X a week with costumes and props, and danced on park lawns and in empty church halls. We did Muppet Bollywood, Jane Fonda twerkouts, and re-enacted the Titanic on the night Santa Cruz was burning. It kept more than a few people sane and connected. And then it was time for a change.
Transitions are rarely easy but it sounds like you're trusting your path. I'm sure it will lead you to the next sweet home.