Sunday, October 12, 2008

Up Close & Personal



This is something that I very rarely do. But, this morning ( 1:27AM, Sunday, 12 Oct 08), I (for whatever unknown reasons) want to allow You a bit of an intimate peek into an element of Me ... that I normally keep very quiet about.

I am motivated (or inspired) to speak with you, as I am ... because I have no one else to share these reflections with. So, in departure from my customary lesson-leaning, insight-sharing reflections ... this is only about me ... and my life's circumstances. Let me begin with the thought that has occupied my mind for a few hours now. I have been thinking "I could easily become spoiled to these comforts and conveniences." What comforts and conveniences do I speak of? Well ... the lovely, hot shower that I just enjoyed, for one. Not bathing from a small bathroom basin ... with water heated in a pot, on a hot-plate ... but in a nice shower stall with hot running water that ACTUALLY comes straight from the spout ... is something that I could become habituated to. And (please do forgive the "indelicacy" of this revelation), enjoying the utility of a toilet that FLUSHES ... instead of clearing one out over the course of a day with pails of water poured slowly in until the slow draining of it accomplishes the desired clarity of water by late at night (all to be repeated as a "routine" through the next day) ... is something that I find decadently delightful. Then there is the luxury of a stove ... with MULTIPLE burners ... instead of the afore-mentioned hotplate (that is used for heating water as well as the cooking tasks.) And ... blessed happiness is having the use of a cloths washer AND dryer ... right at hand (I finished folding and stacking the last of the 20 loads of laundry that I had accumulated (over the course of over 2 years of no such convenience. [Hand-washing items on an "as needed" basis ... again, in the small basin ... is what I usually do.]), just this morning. Then, sleeping on a REAL bed ... WELL, just let me tell you that I have slept like the proverbial Baby, for the past 5 nights (and, on this ... my last night of house/pet sitting for two dear Friends ... I am looking at that very bed with a lovely longing for savouring the last of these nights [HUGE smile].)

I won't even mention the companionship of a darling dog (Henry) and cat (Billie) who have made my visit here even more a pleasure. Nor will I go into the marvelous ambiance of breakfast beside the swimming pool ... watching the butterflies and birds whilst not hearing the sounds of one of the county's busiest highway's traffic tat runs in front of the cozy cottage that I have known as "Home" for the past 20 years. Ahhh! Sweet bliss, this is. But alas, it ends tomorrow. And I will be back in the primitive, but adequate, place that is my personal place of respite and reflection. But ... Boy-Oh-Boy!! I could surely become spoiled to this style of living [grin.]

So, My Darling Friend, I retire with a smile of gratitude for this sweet interlude. I bid you "Good Night."

14 comments:

Tess Kincaid said...

Your post has reminded me of my many blessings, which I often take for granted. Thank you, dear friend.

Anonymous said...

This was perfectly timed. It is our Canadian Thanksgiving this weekend and you reminded me of all that I have to be thankful for. I'm glad you had this interlude - you deserve it! Lisa L.

lime said...

if it were in my power i'd see that you'd be well habituated to such blessings.

John-Michael said...

I am so grateful that you received this Intimacy in the true spirit that I intended it, Dearest Willow. (Though I, [in all honesty] would have expected nothing less of you.) You are a Dear, indeed!

Lovingly ...

John-Michael said...

So much to be thankful for! Ah, yes, 'tis so very true, My Dear Lisa. And to have your Spirit to share my happinesses and gratitude with, only compounds my thankfulness. Thank you for joining me in this moment.

namaste ...

John-Michael said...

Sweetest Lime, my Darling Friend ... being able to rest in the reassurance that I have a Soul with whom I can easily share a chuckle (or a tear) with, makes living in ANY circumstance more joyful. You better each element of my life.

Loving You ...

Kissing of the Frogs said...

Oh how we take such blessings for granted, don't we? I am glad that you had some time to be spoiled. You deserve it my friend. How you remind us to be thankful for all we have.
Hugs,
Rose

John-Michael said...

And YOU, My Precious Rose, I am thankful for ... and count my Self blessed with ... each time that you reach beyond your present space, and into mine. I love you Dear One.

San said...

That's the way I feel when I visit friends who are wealthier than I. "I could get used to this 360-degree view of the pinon-studded hills and this kitchen that just walked out of Architectural Digest and those elegant sofas and those stone sculptures in the garden." And now reading your honest post, I am grateful for the comforts I do have. The real comfort is in the heart and soul. And in those homes, John-Michael, you are well-appointed.

nitebyrd said...

I'm very glad you enjoyed your stay house sitting. What other people might look at it as a chore, you made it sound like a lovely vacation. You also did a wonderful thing for your friends. I'm sure their time away was much sweeter knowing their home and loved pets were so well cared for.

Meg Wolff said...

I was lying in bed this morning thinking of things to be grateful for. My bed, the warmth, the luxury of not having to get up immediately. But you actually experience the hardship of living primitively, so can really appreciate the opposite. Thanks for the reminder. I will think of these things today. I am interested in hearing more about this.

John-Michael said...

How marvelously kind and sweet of you, Dearest San! You have made me feel so very good! (Something that is ALWAYS the immediate consequence of thoughts of you.)

I must confess that I have determined that I MUST restore the facility of hot water, though. That is just so nice! [smile]

Lovingly ...

John-Michael said...

I am truly pleased and excited to tell you, Dearest NiteByrd, that my brother, Steven, has (upon hearing of my 'house-sitting' stint) invited me (and already made the plane reservations [grin]) to house-sit for his family whilst they enjoy a holiday in Hawaii, next month. Whoopee!! I get to see and be with a whole bunch of very close and warmly intimate family just at the holiday season. I'm pumped! (and I can enjoy the company of horses, chickens, dog, cat, acres of quiet and serene homestead. [and all of those other afore-mentioned 'creature comforts][sigh!])

I thank you for your loving Presence, Darling Friend. I do love you (ya know).

John-Michael said...

I must say, Sweet Meg Wolff, that I do not know what I would even remotely consider to be "hardship." Some level of "inconvenience ... definitely yes! But (as I consider the comforts and conveniences that are all too normal and usual in our life here in The States) I would be embarrassed and feel trifling to ever say that i know hardship.

When I moved into this little cottage (subsequent to the divorce, 20 years ago), it did have the amenities that one would expect. But the passage of time and the wear of usage brought about the demise of the refrigerator, stove, water heater wiring, and septic tank. Inasmuch as my income is about 1/3 of what the folks who you see alongside the roadways with hand-crafted "help" signs, earn (according to a recently published report) ... I haven't the funds to replace or repair these conveniences. And my landlady lives on a fixed disability pension that barely supports her minimum needs. So she is not able to fund said fix-ups on this place that her Dad built many years ago (1950's.) So, in lieu of increases in rent payments with the passage of time ... I am 'paying' the decrease of 'frills.'

And that is about as abbreviated, yet accurate, a summary as I can offer. It is an 'interesting' life. [smile] I do thank you for your kind interest.

namaste ...

Creative Commons License
Unless expressly stated, all original material, of whatever nature, created by J. Michael Brown (John-Michael) and included in this weblog and any related pages, including the weblog's archives is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.5 License.