Time Travel on the Driveway

Time has been on the minds of people for a long time. Our myths from centuries back tell stories of time travel, moving forward or backward in time, being able to see what is coming or what happened. We seem to be fascinated with time, time management, time efficiencies, and making the world ever smaller in ever faster technologies. Whether it is a desire to see what will come, has gone, or a way to pause; the need to slow down is one that hits me regularly. I need to slow down, taking time to think about and look at the world around me. It is recharging for me and lets me gather perspective as I listen for a quiet voice of God.

I’m reminded of this need to slow down every time I come down the driveway. There are many kinds of driveways, concrete and asphalt, gravel and dirt. My driveway is a mix of gravel, dirt, and asphalt chunks. It is rutted and uneven in places where water has cut trenches through and left hills and valleys. It needs some work. But, part of me really likes the driveway this way. It forces whoever is coming to the house to slow down; to watch out for dogs that don’t get out of the way of cars and to be on the lookout for rabbits that believe strongly in perpetual rabbit right-of-way. It is a reminder to me to slow down, such an important reminder in our fast paced world.           

I wouldn’t want to give up my cell phone, email, facebook, and other media timesaving technologies forever. What I do want to do is create a balance with reminders that often cause me to pause and look around. Yesterday, I looked up and saw a cloud move across the morning sky. The sun wasn’t quite up yet, and the clouds still had a heavy grey look to them. I thought they looked thick until I saw a lacey view of the moon, edged in a graceful and moving frame. This morning, a golden fog caught the sunlight and let it display its beams suspended in droplets of vapor. The feel of autumn crispness is reflected in the crispness of sweet red and tart green autumn apples. Beautiful fawns have lost their spots, and are now preparing for winter’s cold by growing out their thick fuzzy coats. Their mouths seem to be in a perpetual state of chewing as they utilize the end of summer foliage to prepare for the upcoming chill. A small moth landed on the window, spread its wings and sunned itself in a wonderful leaf disguise.

Maybe our many myths and scientific studies of time travel can be brought to our daily lives by stopping to breathe in the smells, watch for the wispy clouds, feel the sun-filled water droplets in the foggy air, and slow down when coming down the driveway.

PBS Special

   There was a PBS series last year, or perhaps the year before, where people were chosen to go and live in a recreation of a colonial village, early Texas ranch, or western pioneer homestead. They were put in costumes, given the tools and resources of that time period and then were put forth to fend for themselves. Obviously, it would be a pretty steep learning curve for most of us.

   But, I was thinking about that the other night, when dreaming of Jenny Lake at the Teton Mountains. What would it be like to have a snug little cabin, tucked in among the pines in front of the lake. Open the door and there is Oxbow Bend winding past with otters playing in its current. It might be refreshing to be there, removed from some of the conveniences. Okay, I’ll admit I don’t want to give up all of them. I like central heat and air. I like hot water and washers and dryers. But, I could give up some of it for a while.
   Maybe that should be a PBS special, maybe we should have something where we can remove ourselves from the business of busyness. When else can we stop to think through the beauty of the world around us? When else can we pause to appreciate the beauty of the stars, the joy of the movement of moose through the birches? I like technology, I like connecting with friends and family through facebook, I like the easy way to communicate with text and the handiness of cell phones. But in a moment this morning, I paused to look at the sunrise and wanted a little time to slow down, and appreciate the beauty surrounding us.

Just Like a Ripe Blueberry

The Disney movie, The Rocketman, has a rather predictable but hilarious character in Fred Randall. Fred, the typical geeky computer guy with a great heart is the main character and appears on the scene partially blue from being sucked into the toilet. You just have to watch the movie to understand. But, he looks at earth and compares it to a ripe blueberry, something that you hold so gently in your palm.

While I have not had the particular pleasure of comparing the earth to a ripe blueberry from space, I have had the chance from the air. The lines that I see on maps fade out and everything is seen from a much different view.

Technology has offered some different views as well. As I sat the other night, chatting with a friend in Ohio, looking at pictures of a friend in Florida, and challenging another to a game of Tetris, it once again surprised me at how very small the world has become. Technology, though it may seem to sterilize our communication at time when losing the emotional face to face interaction, allows quick and daily views into each other’s lives. We can even link in information from the Department of State to hear about what is going on in the government, see new exhibits with the Smithsonian, read the latest in professional journals, as well as read and watch about our own local town’s goings on.

I wonder if as we progress down the paths of technology, if the value of our face to face time will increase even more. I know there are predictions of how we will lose the ability to communicate except via technology. But, as something becomes more rare, it generally becomes more precious. I wonder if instead of typing classes, high schools will now have communication curriculum. I can read the class catalogue now, Day to Day Speaking 101: how to speak to your classmate without a computer in hand. Okay, so a bit of sarcastic tongue in cheek tone there, but really it may be the opposite of the predictions. We may learn to utilize the technology better, to facilitate communication rather than lose aspects of it.

Blogging

This blogging thing is obviously very new for me. I decided to jump in and make the leap as a combination of a recent ankle injury which has me sitting with one leg laying up on pillows as if a fairy tale prop and the other that I love to write. A recent conference also spoke to the importance of understanding this new, and rapidly world changing, technology. Yes - world changing technology. I think it's incredible! I mean, we have gone from a world that was mainly stationary to one where we move across oceans, talk with virtual neighbors that can be nine time-zones away, and skype with our friends and family. How cool is that!!!

Anyway, the leg injury.... you know, I wish I had some great story. I have had several suggested to me, bar fight, attacked by trainer gone wild at a conference, crazed Parliamentary guard attacks.... Unfortunately, the real story is not quite so much fun. There are these beautiful sidewalks in Ottawa, stones that are very precisely laid out. Unfortunately, the heel of my brown pumps slid into one of those crevices between the stones. And woosh! I went down. Let me just say - air casts are wonderful! I made it back, through the conference, through customs, through security, through a layover with an air cast and largely due to the kindness of people around me.

You know, I think we all have moments when we ask who our neighbors are. Love my neighbor? Sure - I have great neighbors! But, is my neighbor just the person that the house is near? I was made a neighbor to people I had never met before, who live in a different country than I do. They went above and beyond over and over. Go find your neighbors - they just may be half way around the world, or just around the corner.