Since it’s a third of the way through the October break, it seems time for an update.
The first few days were spent working on D’Oliva Olive Oil projects. Obviously the big accomplishment was getting 125 new trees planted on October 2nd. But there were “behind the scenes” projects that D’Aun had me working on before that.
On Sunday the 3rd I was so tired from the tree planting that I slept in late. That evening D’Aun, Jedd and I joined friends and went to a great dinner at the Center for Urban Education about Sustainable Agriculture in San Francisco. After the dinner we went to Raphael House, a homeless shelter run by the Orthodox Church where two of Jedd’s Westmont friends (Zak and Kellie) now work. Great to see such an amazing program!
October 4-5 was spent reading, writing, and praying. Twelve trusted friends and family members had written their thoughts about my sabbatical, so I spent a good chunk of time just reflecting on their insights. It made me appreciate having such great people in my life.
Since October 6th I’ve been in the Sierras by myself. I admit to watching the Giants games, but otherwise I have been alone and unhindered by noise, activity or structure. It’s been great. Addictive, actually. Taking the time to reflect is such a healthy process. The early morning walks have been especially wonderful.
As for how I’m enduring the digital fast? I’ve hardly noticed. Certainly Facebook and Twitter were easy to give up. Email has also been easy to give up (and to those of you who subscribe to this blog, remember that the emails you get are automatically generated and not initiated by me!). I’ve not even once been tempted to make a phone call and have been shocked to see that not a single business call has come in on my mobile. About the only thing I’ve done is text a few people, but even then it was to people who have been spiritual guides through this process. So overall, the “fast” has been easy. That said, I think it is easier for me than for my family!
In his book Stopping: How to Be Still When You Have To Keep Going, David Kundtz writes a key insight into why these breaks are so important:
“Picture a lone traveler on a journey, paused at a fork in the road, considering the moment, fully awake, poised, not rushed, aware of his or her power, and, only when the time is right, choosing the road and continuing the journey. A decision thus made cannot be wrong. The journey will be successful, whatever its outcome. The pilgrim is awake and recalls the answers to the important questions of life.
“Now imagine another traveler stumbling down the road, frantic with anxiety, unfocused, dropping things along the way, unable to distinguish accurate directions from false ones, tattered, exhausted and, without thought, taking the fork in the road that’s the closest. Not an appealing model nor one we would choose to imitate. Yet most of us do. Racing from thing to thing or from note to note, in a frantic attempt to keep up or to catch up, we lose our keys, our plane ticket, our date book, ourselves.”
So true! Now, the fork in the road is really no different than what all of us face on a regular basis. This is not a unique moment for me. But I did feel that sense of rush that Kundtz describes, and even after a few days of pause I’m feeling more refreshed and focused. Can’t wait to see how it feels after a full month!