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QUIET TIME

Saturday Apr. 4, 2015


Try being alone with your thoughts for an extended time …

Neither relaxing or happy, but therapeutic methinks.

Asking, ‘what were you thinking?’

Exactly – what WERE we thinking?

We know that disjointed bizarre scat was coming from somewhere – within us, surfacing when our controlled mind least expected it. Like SNL sketch gone horribly wrong, words roll off our tongue, drip from our lower lip like sad sad sad drool.

Thoughts, privacy, silence – a fantastic cacophony inside the skull – laughter in one corner, deep heavy discussion in another – party, convention of ideas – centered in solitude.

Thoughts flow?

Thoughts don’t really flow, do they?

They don’t roll out, prepared smoothly like  a baked pie – firm tasty crust, delicious filling, topped with meringue conclusion – delicious, beautiful and fully developed – complete mouthfuls, delivered without hesitation …

Thoughts, bursts of energy – not connected to the last burst, or the next – not understood fully by us, let alone anyone else.

There is no explanation of thoughts – our innermost – that would be useful to most people; they might roll their eyes, make a gag-reflex motion, turn away in disgust, scratch their heads or mutters, “what are you talking about? ..”

Not disdain or denial.

Just failure to see things some other way.

And that challenge, witnessing someone else’s brain from the outside looking in – is not the reverse of looking outward through our own. Looking out through our own we are just as likely to have those shock/awe/horror expressions ourselves.

Thoughts matter. And  then they don’t.

Words matter.

And then they don’t.

Feelings matter and we should trust them, because there is never a time when they don’t matter.


Mark Kolke

column written/ published from  Paia, Maui, HI

morning walk:  18C/65F, a light breeze start – if there was ever a perfect day for wandering paradise naked, this morning would be it; there is zero stress, perfect temperature, birds chirping and this town is slowly waking up in long-weekend mode, tourist-slow for tourists and locals alike – I walked Paia Bay Beach …short, steep, mostly empty except for a few meditators who were staring out to see … and two wine-drinkers extending their Friday night …


Reader feedback:

ANOTHER CHANCE

So true. When we wake up on the 'wrong side of the bed', it seems the day never rights itself. Your column has me waking on the right side more often--no need to let those negative thoughts rule our day.  Thanks again for sharing my blog www.jmaydaze.com.  Now I have new readers in Canada!, JM, Seattle, WA


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