Return to the Noise

Update: The media-free week went well, it was actually nice to have a bit of silence. The biggest thing I noticed was how automatic it is to turn on the radio or TV. I found myself reaching for the remote many times. When I stopped to think about it though, most of the time I wasn't even that excited about the extra noise. It's just such a habit that I don't even think about it.

It's interesting how ingrained the TV schedule is in my brain too. I found myself thinking things like; "It's Tuesday night, so I have to be home by 8 pm for NCIS." Since when do I have to change my schedule to match the TV Guide? It was actually a little freeing to not think about what show was on each evening.

I confess that I may have cheated a little this week though. I bought a new camera, and played with it a little each day. Usually I would have had the TV on and chatting on Facebook at the same time though, so it could have been worse.

Conclusion: It was nice to have a little break this week. Hopefully going forth I can be more intentional with turning on the media.

Silence Part 2: Media Junkie takes a break

Ever since I wrote silence I have thought more and more about the subject. It came to mind to try an experiment, to go a week without media. “Great Idea” I thought, “it wouldn’t be that tough, might be kind of nice. I might actually get something done instead of sitting and watching TV all evening.” The more I thought about it though the more I resisted the idea. Why? Well, it seems that I’m even more afraid of silence than I originally thought. Somehow a whole week without media is daunting (strange since the first 18 years of my life were not very media filled. Guess I’ve made up for lost time). My day is so media filled that I’m not sure what I’ll do with my time (not that I don’t have a long To Do list, I just usually have noise while I work). Mostly I think I’m afraid of what God might say to me. It’s easy to tune Him out when there is lots of noise, less so in silence.

So here’s my resolution. To go a week without media. No TV, no radio or iPod, no computer (except at work for work purposes, don’t think I could get away with saying I couldn’t use the computer there). Then next Monday (Memorial Day) I’ll head to the beach for the day and reflect on how it all went.

See y’all on the flip side.

Adventure

I love stormy weather. Usually I enjoy it from my living room with a fire in the fireplace and some hot tea where it feels so cozy and safe. Today, however, I enjoyed the weather while on a bike ride. Not that I planned to ride while being pelted by razor-sharp raindrops, the rain started halfway through my ride. At first I was irritated by the inconvenience. Still ten miles from home and already soaked, the feeling of cold starting in my toes and advancing up to my brain. After a while though I started to look around and enjoy it. I felt like an intrepid adventurer, braving the elements.

Not too many other people were out there (except for the drivers of cars which sprayed me with water every few seconds). It was fun to smile and nod to the few other brave souls walking or biking (or stupid souls, your choice). There’s something about “bad” weather that brings people together (think of the last snow storm you might have been in). We were experiencing the rain fully in a way you couldn’t if you were in a car. So even though I was soaked, freezing, muscles burning (I may have ridden farther than originally intended), I was also laughing. I felt like a kid jumping in the puddles and getting all wet just for the fun of it.

Now I’m glad to be back in my warm home with a snuggly cat in my lap, but I’m also glad I got to have a little adventure today.

What kinds of adventures have you had lately?

Kooza

Kooza

In a word: WOW.

I have never been to a Cirque du Soleil performance before, and it was pretty amazing. I laughed, almost cried several times, gasped almost constantly, and marveled at the ability of fellow human beings.

It’s amazing how much hard work, dedication, and teamwork would have to go into something like that. Setting up the tent and stage is a feat in itself. Then once the show starts every second is choreographed. Every performer and stage hand must work in sync so nobody gets hurt and the audience enjoys the show. During intermission I started to think about the hundreds and hundreds of hours each performer must have put in to prepare for the tour. Let alone the years of training to learn their craft before that. It’s pretty mind boggling.

So, I would definitely recommend seeing a Cirque du Soleil performance if you get a chance. But only if you have a strong heart, they're daring. They even plan times where they pretend to mess up just to make you fear for their lives (I only know this because a friend went on a different day and we compared notes. They did the same exact mess ups in both shows.) When you can perform death-defying stunts (with pizzazz) and also throw in pretend mess-ups . . . well, that’s just showing off. But it’s a lot of fun to watch!

Lost my Muchness, Have I?!!!!

I really enjoyed the new Alice in Wonderland (and not just because Johnny Depp is in it, although that was nice too). The deeper meaning in the story of a girl growing up and being brave, and finding herself was timeless.

One of my favorite lines was when the Mad Hatter told Alice; “You used to be much more...’muchier.’ You've lost your muchness.” That was early in the movie when Alice was still trying to figure out what her place was in Underworld. Later in the movie, after Alice had gone through many trials successfully, she says under her breath (in a rather defiant tone); “Lost my muchness, have I?”

Often I feel that I’ve lost my “muchness.” That I don’t really know who I am or why I’m here. Maybe that’s why I loved this story. It was fun to watch the character figure out her place in the world, and to find her voice. In a strange way it gives me hope that someday I will also find my voice and be able to say to the world; “Lost my muchness, have I?!!!”

SONG: Who I Am (Rosemary’s Granddaughter) by Jessica Andrews