Letting go

Yesterday I drove over to the storage unit I've been renting for the past couple years to meet up with friends who were interested in some furniture I had for sale.
We bantered back and forth, they took measurements and when they left I found myself looking at framed pictures, furniture, books, and bookshelves, cooking ware, silver ware, candles, and old hiking shoes. There was new unused camping gear, bicycle parts and riding clothes from a past adventure, small cigar boxes full of trinkets, baskets of beads, and even a number of kinder egg surprise toys that stirred up memories of a little boy from my past.
What I was looking at was neatly packed, stacked and collecting dust, reflections of another time, another life that seemed long ago. Strange to think what use to be personal treasure was locked in a dark storage unit and become what I now call stuff! Cool interesting stuff but stuff all the same.
It was eight years ago when I come to my crossroads around work, chasing down the dime, and my plan was simple. Leisurely morning walks, sipping coffee, journal writing, adventure traveling, to just be OK with taking the time to quietly sit and watch birds build their nests, or rice paddies turn green if thats what I wanted.
I had no idea that what I called "The Deconstructing of Brian" would also include what has become a kind of natural purging, a complete letting go of all those other things collected that are no longer important or serve me anymore. Since I spend more time traveling and living in other countries then I do at home these days passing my treasures on to others has become a natural almost effortless affair plus along with this clearing out the years of consuming accumulation comes the opportunity for me to operate from a place where less is more. I feel a freedom in this choice, a lighter wisdom, space, I'm healthier somehow and my perspective around buying and owning has changed dramatically.
 I don't consider myself a die hard minimalist at least I'm not at that point where I know the exact number of items I own, but must admit being curious how life will be once I've shed what feels like the final layers of unseen weight and responsibility of harboring stuff.

                                                              Rice Paddy in Thailand

Apples, Movies and Moon Time

One evening a little over a week back, my house mate and I found ourselves at home peeling and coring apples that had loosened their grip and dropped from the tree in the back yard.
We sat comfortably in the TV room expertly working the paring knives, bowls for the good apple chunks, buckets for the compost, and while doing this we got into watching a movie called The Avengers.
Not only were we entertaining ourselves with super heros, we were also being productive in a leisurely sort of way with thoughts of hot apple sauce over ice cream and tasty gingersnap cookies motivating us.
Not sure why, other than maybe just needing to move, but around 10:00 just as we finished cleaning the last of the apples we both felt the strong desire to put the movie on hold and go for a walk in the moon light. We slipped on our shoes, headed out the back door into the balmy night and made our way down to the waters edge.
Strolling along the seawall towards Swy-a-lana lagoon we couldn't help noticing how super full and bright the moon was and there were a good number of others out at that late hour also enjoying the richness of an evening walk.
There was definitely a stillness, a gentle quality in the air, the temperature was tee shirt perfect and at times I felt like I was floating along rather than physically walking.
Guess I was having a tidal full moon experience.  
Enjoying each others company and occasionally greeting people in passing we slowly made our way toward Swy-a-lana park and just before arriving the distorted sounds of music and amplified conversations drifted up the shoreline to meet us.
The closer we got the more intrigued we became about what was going on at that hour, and we discovered when entering the park literally hundreds of movie goers watching Walt Disney's animated movie Frozen, which seemed appropriately cooling after such a hot day.
A hugh screen had been erected at one end of the tree lined park and the grassy knolls in between and all around were completely covered with the good people of Nanaimo all of whom had found their choice spots and either spread blankets and propped themselves up on pillows or unfolded their easy chairs to sit and watch the story unfold. It was like a sleep over and the community was invited.
The aromatic smell of hot buttered popcorn infused with cotton candy filled the air, accompanied by the laughter of children and adults alike.
Seeing all these families together curled up on their blankets watching the movie, all the while being bathed in the silvery light of a full moon was an amazing visual and one I'm certain to remember for awhile.

We continued a slow easy walk taking it all in, occasionally stopping to watch some of the movie and the people gathered, before eventually leaving the park and making our way back home. 

Never did finish the Avengers movie - the next day we enjoyed a treat of homemade apple sauce with ice cream and wonderful gingersnap cookies.

Something about our walking the sea wall and into the park at that exact moment was very special.
I discovered gratitude for my community, a gratefulness I don't recall feeling before.
In a way you could say I fell in love with Nanaimo and later that night when I crossed the bridge and quietly slipped into a deep sleep I know I had a smile on my face.

MOON GRATES AT SPIRIT PLAZA

 

Beginnings

Over the past couple of months I've pondered what it might be like to start writing a blog.

Would it be difficult for someone who's not all that computer savvy? What would I write about? Do I really have anything to say and if so who would want to read anything I wrote? How much time would be needed and could I be consistent? 

Yes those thoughts that might inspire a person to either jump straight in or avoid the process like a rotten banana all came up for me. 

For 25 years writing has been a passion for me. Whether it's about plodding through the very hot, sometimes cold and dusty Thar Desert of Rajasthan, India on the back of a camel named Vishnu, hiking the oxygen deprived pathways of the Himalayan Mountains of Nepal, or something as simple as my standing in a line up in the Bank of Canada having a good laugh with the woman in front of me about her new running shoes and how she needs them to keep up with her kids these days, applying pen to paper has been my muse and always nourished my creativity.

Writing about big adventure's or life's little experiences has been a long standing daily ritual. 

Even though to date most of my writings have been in journal form and kept from the eyes of others (which I suppose is why I'm a little anxious about moving into this new play ground), I've decided with the encouragement and support of family and friends that exploring this avenue or arena will be an excellent way to share my stories, observations and pictures with you, and hopefully these will instill a deeper sense of connection and delight in the world that we share.

I also look forward to cultivating a more purposeful sense of direction for myself and with your comments and honest feedback my skill as writer/storyteller will only get better and gain more clarity and substance.

This is my first blog a test run so-to-speak so I'll keep it short and include a colorful picture just to see how it all looks.

                                                                          VISHNU