Work resists death. For the longest time the material result of work, the stuff we produce, obscured for me the importance of how the process of working influences our perception of time. It is with our tasks, even the completion of trifles, we strive to persuade time to give us some advantage over death. We squeeze in as much as possible into our days, hoping our work and plans will be valued enough to earn us more time, more life, or at least remembered longer. Death, however, is inevitable, time is indifferent, and memories short. And we know all this. Our stack of accomplishments doesn’t buy more time, yet doing them consoles us. Working brings rhythm, structure, meaning, connection, and purpose to the space between birth and death. Working does not extend life, yet by working, engaging, life is expanded, marked, lived.
6 comments:
Is it worth it to collect accomplishments then? Or is it just as acceptable to live with the rhythm of time as it is?
The soapbox gallery looks neat! Simple, and you've got a great view of chaos !
Oxana,
Thank you for your response and your questions.
These are good questions that we continuously need to ask. They never are likely to be fully answered. This is what I have observed: it is the questioning and searching that shapes us and enlivens us. The questions continue to change with time, place, our understanding, our feelings and the situation. Answers and accomplishments are plateaus of understanding that organize and encourage us to carry on. Acceptable is not the word I would use. Living with the rhythm of time is our fate. If we befriend time, aging, death and the reality of constant change, we can also see the patterns of our lives. For me, seeing patterns is encouraging and comforting. Looking and drawing is structured by the patterns, a way I can make sense of the world. It is both calming and exciting. It is a balance that frees me from my fears of death and what is other than myself and lets me be fully alive, aware, and engaged.
You have reminded me I once wrote, " "busy is good. busy doing things you like, with people you like, is as good as it gets." But it can get better. Busy doing things that matter to you, with people that matter, and that change the world in ways that matter. This fosters energy and introduces you to new ideas and people and this is better.
I like your quote "Answers and accomplishments are plateaus of understanding".. where we can take a break, from plowing headlong into exciting frontiers.
When I journey through my life's topography and come across a plateau I see it as a behemoth drag. It is barren, sun-dried, endless and sandy. I crouch near a bush. Eat its berries. And wait. And plot. Ruminate and curse the heat. Draw some pictures in the sand. Without being too interesting in advancing.
The things that get me off my ass are round cartoonish tumble weeds with bits of curious things tangled in their branches. I can chase the tumbles for a while. Catch them, and toss them away after closer examination. Or if they outrun me, slow down in my run and come to a defeated walk.
Would that kind of behaviour be called innate sloth? Tendency to puruse immediate gratification?
Mayeb a vitamin-mineral dificiency?
A pause, a redirection, time to consider, space.... weeks, months, years, however long it takes of innate slothness keeps our activity from getting ahead of its value. Otherwise, we get busy for the sake of distraction, miss the point, and make a mess. Like you said in April sometimes we need to make it simple and get a good view of the chaos - we are in, are making, and that makes us.
Gosh!
How Chekhovian this blog is.
There is life and there is death.
But the most important thing is how we are with each other.
I can see that seeking patterns help us make sense of the world - but my experience is that life is random.
We are lucky if our work can be creative - but in the west we can earn money to enable us to be creative in our leisure.
But being creative is a joy and a luxury - we must treasure it in ourselves and others.
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