Simple

What simple things mean the world to you? A simple wee post about the simple joy of finding time for the simple things. 

This is a simple post with a simple message. That message is to find whatever time you can in the time that you have in this world to appreciate the tiny moments that bring peace or renewal, that make life worth living. The simple things.

Life is forever evolving, forever in flux. Relentless forward motion.

My life, your life and every life is made up of a succession of moments that might seem endless… until it isn’t endless any more.

These moments will rush past. The speed of life is phenomenally fast. But throughout all these moments, the simple things endure.

Even when the metaphorical (or even real) waves appear to boil with rage all around you, the simple things are likely still within reach.

What simple things mean the world to you?

The doing of absolutely nothing

Sometimes the moments that make up a life will stack up into a more clearly defined phase. On rare occasions, you might even recognise such a phase while you are in it. With gratitude, excitement and no small degree of trepidation, I have entered such a new phase in my life. You can read about how this phase started in Strange horizon. As I wrote on LinkedIn a few weeks back:

“As for me, I am going to take a little time to reflect on all that the past 21 years has meant to me, and to think about where life might take me next. I am looking forward to wherever the path might lead.”

My wife sagely advised me to do absolutely nothing for at least the first few weeks of this new phase. As with everything she says, these words have proven wise.

I am thankful for the opportunity to unwind, to start to rest and recuperate. Eventually, I will have to start to think about whatever might and will come next.

But for now, I am doing my best to make the most of this rare opportunity to approach life differently. I am doing my best to recognise and to appreciate the simple things as they come into my life. Here is a small selection of simple things that have improved my world these past few weeks…

Sleep. Sleep can be the most valuable thing in the world. It’s also easy to overlook its value. When you’re rich with sleep, you may not realise how abundantly the world has gifted you. But when you cannot come by sleep, you quickly come to realise its true and perhaps incalculable worth. I will never be a world class sleeper. But I am so thankful that even I have been starting to do slight better in the shut-eye stakes these past few weeks.

Drawing. I must be starting to relax, as I have put my pen to paper to do my first drawings in a very long time. Here are some of the results…

Dancer.

Cat’s eye.

The furrowing of the brow.*

Alas, poor Twitter. This picture of Mr Skeleton with the logo of a certain birdsite accompanied my previous post here on MJCarty.com.

Another simple pleasure for me is when I get to spend time tending the earth to grow vegetables. The recent unseasonal warmth has meant that my 2022 potato harvest did not arrive until mid-November. My back did not and will not thank me for the labour involved in digging up these spuds. But here are the results…

And there is always the sheer, simple pleasure of interacting with friends, new and old. Right now, I am finding the Mastodon social network to be a rich and quite lovely place to chat and to share. If you are either new to Mastodon or are Mastodon-curious, I have attempted a Mastodon FAQ.

May today be nothing but kind to you and yours

I have no idea how long this moment to rest, recuperate and try to appreciate the simple things will be. I have no idea how long this life will be. None of us does.

Gentle reader, I sincerely hope that you can find whatever time you can in the time that you have in this world to appreciate the tiny moments that bring peace or renewal, that make life feel as if it is worth living. The simple things.

May you be nothing but kind today, to others and to yourself.

May today be nothing but kind to you and yours.

FOOTNOTES

* This speedy sketch was inspired by (but bears little resemblance to) Rodin’s bust of Victor Hugo. I chanced upon said bust via the front page of Wikimedia Commons, where it was picture of the day on Sunday 13 November 2022. I have no idea what Mr Hugo was like as a person. But – at least on the basis of Rodin’s bust of him – I would guess that he was an impatient sitter for the master sculptor. Strong is the “Done!” energy exuded by Mr Hugo’s facial expression there!

IMAGES

• Simple (33944286503) via Wikimedia Commons.
• Brooklyn Museum – Kajikazawa in Kai Province – Katsushika Hokusai via Wikimedia Commons.
• Dancer, sketch by MJCarty, November 2022.
• Cat’s eye, sketch by MJCarty, November 2022.
• The furrowing of the brow, sketch by MJCarty, November 2022.
• Alas, poor Twitter, sketch by MJCarty, November 2022.
• Potatoes, as harvested and phographed by MJCarty on Thursday 10 November 2022.
• Sunrise from ISS 5 via Wikimedia Commons.