Right now, my life feels like this George Booth cartoon. I need to take some time off, but I don’t imagine it will be “to relax a little”. Due to the tiniest hidden leak in my kitchen that did serious damage over several weeks, my wonderful painted plywood floors will be ripped out this morning. Then huge noisy machines will be left to dry the space out, encapsulated by Hazmat-like plastic containment walls with zippers.

Sally Schneider

In the scheme of things it’s a not-dire blip that will necessitate me finding creative ways to survive the cacophony and a packed-up kitchen, while dealing with insurance matters and researching repairs. (And I’m grateful still. I HAVE a place, and it will be fixed. Who knows what good will come of it?)

Yoko Ono / imaginepeace.com

But it will mean an upheaval to my hermetic, noise-sensitive, homebody self, and putting Improvised Life on hold while I figure out a noise-dampening rig that will allow me to sleep, among other necessary improvisations…

If need be, I’ll take refuge with friends. And always, in books opened at random offering big fat lessons…

We think that the point is to pass the test or overcome the problem, but the truth is that things don’t really get solved. They come together and they fall apart. Then they come together again and fall apart again. It’s just like that. The healing comes from letting there be room for all of this to happen: room for grief, for relief, for misery, for joy                  .—Pema Chodron

See you next Monday, fingers crossed.

 

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10 replies on “Gone to Navigate a Lesson in Impermanence (Pema Chodron)

  1. I will miss you but wish you all the time you need to make this truly a blip that goes away as quickly as possible. The quote you end with from Pema Chodron is one of the best yet! Take good care – I’ll be waiting for your return.

  2. Peace be with you and smooth recovery. Thank you for your lovely blog. It is my very favorite.

  3. May this be a much lighter experience than you imagine. Take care and thank you so, so much for your daily inspiration.

  4. Your photo of your damaged plywood floors seems very Wabi Sabi to me!
    You’re gonna take care of yourself, one way or the other, sister!
    Things will come together again!

  5. Water runs its course and changes our course. Best of luck to you during the next seven days.

  6. Finding your floor ruined helped me feel better about my mess from a clogged downspout flooding inside an outside wall of my house. Mess feels like less when the misery is shared. Will miss you while you are elsewhere, but hope your time away proves beneficial somehow.

  7. To all who wrote me about the reality sandwiches that presented in the guise of ruined floors, THANK YOU SO MUCH. Each comment came as an email carrying seriously good energy and fortifying words: fuel and comfort for navigating the next week. Boy, do I feel blessed.

  8. Sally, if it helps any,
    I’ve learned a BIG lesson,
    from your mis-fortunes(!).

    I have stopped taking a leak in the kitchen(!),
    no matter how tiny!

    (the wise learn from other’s mistakes. ?)

    Thanks.

  9. Breathe and give yourself the time you need to restore your energy and talent. I can wait for you!

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