What is this life if, full of care, We have no time to stand and stare? —William Henry Davies—
Souls, like animals and plants, need air. Do our lives have enough empty space in them to nourish our spirit? Living in cities, plugged into networks of jobs, friends, and projects, we sometimes neglect our standing-and-staring needs.
They’re quite specific: we need to be outside, in pleasant weather, with nothing much to do. We need to let the world go on without us for a while. We need to have things pass before our eyes: clouds or boats, or waving grass.
Blessed idleness! Blessed inattention! When we slip back into the groove, we’re refreshed by our passive interlude. Let’s remember the recipe and find some time to stand back and stare.
If I don’t take the time, it will take me. I’d rather the choice was mine.