Stop Talking“Stop talking. Stop thinking. Stop thinking about talking and talking about thinking.” This is the tough love zodiac advice of Heidi Rose Robbins for Gemini in her fabulous blog post https://www.heidirose.com/single-post/2016/06/16/Tough-Love-and-the-Zodiac.

As a double Gemini (sun and rising) I recognized myself immediately and burst out laughing! How does she know me so well? Of course, being the double Gemini that I am, I had to immediately text this to my sister in law, tell my husband and laugh, and share it with a handful of other people because as a Gemini – I’m all about communication. When something makes me laugh this hard, I just have to share.

But as I sat down to take on the challenge of the advice – because you’ve got to admit – it’s a great challenge – my first thought was, “No talking? No thinking? What else is there to do?” For starters there’s eating! I embraced that enthusiastically.

I sautéed some leftover spaghetti squash until it was golden brown and crispy, adding garlic and topping it with butter and chopped basil. I sprinkled it with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Then I topped it with shaved Parmesan cheese. On the side I put some chopped tomatoes from the garden, drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. The taste was nothing short of amazing. The flavors were layered and complex – with so many nuances dancing across my tongue. Even after I swallowed, the tastes lingered on and I wondered just how long it would last? It seemed as if I’d never tasted this richness of flavor before. Had it always been there – but because I was busy in thought and/or conversation I’d missed it? How long has this been happening? Decade after decade of missed flavors?!! Oh my.

I’m starting to think it’s a crime to eat without dropping into silence. Good food needs all of my attention. This was so exciting I followed up with a glass of red wine. Holy smokes – this too?!! So complex – so flavorful. It was like a festival on my tongue. I’ve always heard it said, “Don’t drink alone” – but I may have to change my mind about that. Either that or I may need to establish rules of silence at my dinner table. I don’t want to miss another flavor sensation.

I stretched this meal out as long as I could. But with the next meal (breakfast) hours away – I had quite a challenge ahead. What could I do without talking or thinking? I called a time out from the challenge so that I could stop and think about this. Meditation? Yoga? Of course – but those are the Talkingobvious answers. And besides, I do those all the time. What would be different? I decided to lie in the hammock and just listen with my eyes closed. I heard the sound of boat motors on the lake, the loons mournful calling, heavy breathing from Sky, my big stinky lake dog as she lay underneath the hammock on high alert for squirrels. There was a symphony of sounds to discover in the not so quiet quiet. There were a few mosquitos too. Nevertheless, this was nice. Nothing to do. Nowhere to go. Nothing to take care of. Just being aware of and present to the experience of this moment. Sweet.

Eventually I made a bonfire and let my gaze soften as I looked into the flames leaping about. The flames could not be pinned down. It was all motion and change – smoke and crackle -razzle dazzle – lots of energy expended and then eventually just ashes. OK I realized I was back to thinking here again – seeing symbolism everywhere and comparing it to my busy life and busy mind. Nevertheless – I got the point – an evening of quiet – a vacation from talking and contemplating the meaning of life – and problem solving. It was a wonderful experience of bringing peace and balance into my life while at the same time enriching my experience of the present moment.

Now that that’s over, do you want to talk about it with me?

Questions to Ponder

  1. Do you ever take a break from busy- a break from being with people, a break from listening or talking or being entertained or doing?
  2.   If you did take a break from busy, what would it look like?
  3.  Have you ever taken the time to eat in silence while staying completely focused on all the tastes and textures of your food? What happens when you do this?
  4.  When was the last time you stared at the clouds and watched them shape shift?