As
Star Talks to Star
New Life Story Seeds # 15
Dear Friends,
"Simplify, simplify, simplify," wrote one of my heroes, Henry
David Thoreau.
His friend Emerson chided him, saying one
simplicity would have been enough.
I aspire to simplicity but it
doesn't seem to be a simple process to arrive at that
destination. I
have managed to pare down the newsletter, however,
with plans to publish it more often.
Check out the new visual writing prompts on the website and let me
know what you think:
http://www.newlifestories.com/
Wishing you simply elegant new life stories,
Ellen Moore
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A Thoughtful Quotation
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Have you ever watched the sky on a bright starlit night, when
there's not an inch of sky that isn't full of stars?
It's simply
astounding. The
Universe is immense and gorgeous and
magnificent. I
salute it. Every
speck, every little fly on the
window salutes the Universe.
Every leaf has its meaning.
I think
the Universe is expanding--it is experiencing and accomplishing.
And we have the opportunity to add to its glow.
Everybody can
love, in the place where they are.
In the physical body in which
they are. In
the life in which they are involved.
We can all add
our share of love without leaving the room.
Helen Nearing
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Juicy Questions
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How do you celebrate the beauty of the cosmos?
What helps you connect with truth?
What small or large things have meaning for you?
How do you experience the universe?
What glories of nature move you to a state of ecstasy or oneness?
What aspects of the natural world do you sometimes forget to
notice?
How can you add to the radiance of the universe?
What is your place in the cosmos?
How can you love now, no matter what?
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Hearth and Soul
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Saturday, October 14, 2000
"I refuse to answer that question on the grounds that doing so
might tend to incriminate me," laughs Emilio.
"You know where I
want to go. You
know where I always want to go."
He waves his
hand in that characteristic gesture of his that brings up one of
his most cherished litanies, "Look at this room.
Look at this
house. Do
you see this room?
Do you see this house? Who would
ever want to leave this house?"
"I'm surprised to hear that," I say, playing along with his
shtick. I
knew exactly what he'd say when I asked him where he'd
like to celebrate our wedding anniversary.
Asking him is part of
the ritual.
"Or if you don't fancy Andiamo for dinner, how about Bear
Mountain? I say.
"We could drive up, have lunch at the inn, then
go to the top to take in the view."
He puts his head on his hand like Rodin's "Thinker."
With mock
consternation and puzzlement, he asks, "Now what did I lose at
Bear Mountain?"
He does have a point.
I look at this room, this house.
On this
cold morning, a raw wind smacks wet, yellow leaves against the
window, but we're propped up in bed, reading. Our bedside lights
glow warm and bright.
A carafe of coffee steams beside tall stacks of English novels on
Emilio's table.
My stockpile consists mostly of Cynthia Ozick and
Paul Auster and several nonfiction books.
In addition to my pot
of vanilla-maple tea, I slurp a mug of peppery rutabaga soup laced
with black beans, onions, garlic, and herbs.
What more could I possibly want?
During my long years of
singlehood, this is the scene I most often visualized--being
tucked in cozily with my best friend for a reading and talk fest.
"Snug as two bugs in a rug," as my grammie would say.
Sunday, October 15, 2000
They all know us at Andiamo, so we're automatically led to our
favorite booth.
This restaurant holds special meaning for us
both, as this is where we ate our first dinner together.
The waiter lights the candle on our table and takes our order.
Over eggplant rolatini, we hold hands and begin tell each other
the old stories, recounting that one breathless day seven years
ago today and the events leading up to it.
Like medieval knights, we held a vigil the night before the
wedding, reviewing our fears.
Having both been married before, we
knew more about all that could possibly go wrong.
We were almost afraid to be happy and to acknowledge our good
fortune at having found each other.
It was almost as if we were
trying to slip in under the radar of the universe to escape
notice. How
Emilio--being just a touch superstitious--whispered
conspiratorially, "I'm happy and in love" so as not to invoke the
Evil Eye.
Early in the friendship, we had discussed names.
So we already
knew the answers when we asked each other, "Do you want to change
your name?"
"No, neither do I."
So that was that.
On our wedding
announcement, we included the phrase, "Their names have not
changed."
We decided the wedding would be a minimalist affair.
Looking over
the standard marriage ceremony with an eye to seeing what could be
deleted, we pared it down to the bare essentials.
The word obey
was the first to go.
We would be married in our blue jeans with
our dear friend Beverly as our only witness and attendant.
Beverly arrived elegantly dressed and coifed, iridescent eye
shadow and all. From the depths of her weathered carpet bag, she
called forth deep magic: a wild flower bridal bouquet for me and a
red rose for Emilio, a bottle of champagne, a loaded camera, even
a cake topped with a miniature bride and groom. Such a surprise,
since we had completely released all the frills and had become
content with a quiet, simple ceremony.
We were so touched that
she had gone to all that much effort, and on such short notice
too.
The three of us laughed and joked as we drove leisurely through
the brilliant red and yellow leaves toward town hall. The clerk
wore her best navy blue suit and threw herself into the ceremony,
investing the few remaining words with warmth, depth, meaning, and
solemnity.
We sat there, alternately laughing and teary eyed as Beverly timed
the ceremony (70 seconds) and presented the ring.
When Emilio
said "yes" to the question of taking me as his wife, his eyes
filled with tears, and his voice quavered ever so slightly.
But
when he put the ring on my finger and said "I give you this ring
as a symbol of my love," his voice was firm and strong, and he
gave me a sweet smile.
When the clerk said "Emilio, you may kiss your bride," we kissed
and each put our hands over the other's heart.
Out into the
sunshine sighing with relief, laughter, happiness.
We later joked that we should make up a program to acknowledge our
benefactress, listing Beverly as maid of honor, best man, ring
bearer, flower girl, head usher, organist, soloist, caterer,
vintner, florist, traffic controller, timekeeper, and
congregation.
And now seven years later, the two of us have new stories to
write. Changes
are afoot, and we will deal with them as best we
can. We're
in new territory and we don't have an outline yet.
We
have a cast of characters and something of a plot, but the setting
and action are still hazy as we redefine for ourselves what it
means to live "the good life."
My health continues to ebb.
Am I headed into a permanent decline,
or into a fall and winter, after which spring will eventually
emerge? All I know is that like the trees of autumn, my lush
leaves are falling, falling, revealing my bones, my emotional
nakedness, my essence.
The autumn time of life does have its compensations, however.
There is love, there are the stars and the ineffable beauty of the
cosmos, there is writing.
I resonate with Allen Ginsberg's words: "Here I am naked without
identity. With
no more body than the fine black tracery of pen
marks on soft paper as star talks to star multiple beams of
sunlight all the same myriad thought."
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Books/Links/Resources
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THE GOOD LIFE
"In Maine as in Vermont we made serious and various attempts to
live at five levels: with nature; by doing our daily stint of
bread labor; by carrying out our professional activities; by
constant association with our fellow citizens, and by unremitting
efforts to cultivate the life of the mind and spirit."
If you're
not familiar with the lives and work of Helen and Scott Nearing,
you might want to explore this link.
The Good Life Center carries
on their mission, advancing the Nearings' commitment to social
justice and simple living, and preserving their last hand-built
home.
http://www.goodlife.org/
WRITING YOUR BLISS
Have you found your Bliss? Bliss is not about accumulating wealth,
owning property or obtaining power. It is about fully engaging
with your life and achieving emotional, spiritual and
psychological balance.
You can attain bliss and experience
greater personal fulfillment by learning who you really are and
what you really want. Author Katherine Ramsland shows you how,
mixing practical advice with dozens of illuminating writing
activities.
While it is not Ramsland's aim to turn all of her readers into
successful writers, writing is an important part of her program.
She employs journaling (or introspective writing exercises) to
help each reader reach a greater level of clarity, and her
exercises require a sizable commitment of time and energy. What
makes this book stand out is the care Ramsland uses to explain her
methodology: she provides a solid foundation for understanding the
concept of bliss (from Aristotle to Carl Jung to Joseph Campbell),
and "presents the stages of psychological development involved in
finding bliss, offering tools for getting through each stage."
http://bn.bfast.com/booklink/click?sourceid=1342882&ISBN=0898799759
JOURNEY OF LIFE
Journey of Life is a resource center for anyone who is interested
in personal and spiritual growth.
Written from a Quaker
perspective, the Journey of Life is relevant to people of any
faith or none at all. Topics covered include journal writing,
living in the present moment, creating a personal rule of life and
similar themes. The site is updated regularly.
"To live is to
change, and to be perfect is to change often," wrote John Henry
Newman. The
Journey of Life embraces the concept of change
willingly, and tries to demonstrate that:
Life is not pre-
determined, Destiny is not a binding chain, There is no need to be
stuck in our life situation.
Rather, by cooperating with the
random happenings which come our way, we can live adventurously,
whatever our age, state of health or material resources.
http://www.lifejourney.co.uk/index.html
COACH PHILIP HUMBERT
Dr. Philip Humbert is available for individual and group
coaching. Every
serious athlete has a coach.
Is your success any
less important?
There are numerous free tools and resources on
his website, including a motivational screensaver.
His
inspirational Tips newsletter is published weekly.
Send e-mail to
mailto:Coach@philiphumbert.com for a free initial consultation, or visit:
http://www.philiphumbert.com/
NAMING THE UNNAMABLE
This journal is designed to encourage you to explore the many
aspects and interpretations of "God"--not to change your faith
tradition or belief system, but to bring expanded meaning to your
concept of the Supreme Being. There are an Infinite number of ways
to describe the Divine Source. Inside you will find words,
concepts, and images interspersed throughout the pages to inspire
you to define your Truth, with blank pages available for you to
journal your personal discoveries. As your Life changes, from the
Quiet days to the hectic moments, through crises and celebrations,
this journal can be carried with you along your Way.
http://www.embugpub.com/
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