My body clock wakes me just before 5.00 am. It’s Monday morning. I like Mondays. I lie in bed thinking about going out for a ride. Thoughts then come to mind about how to realise what intentions I have for this week. Arranging, organising, setting routines. I am pleased I still work on stuff like this. That I remain hopeful about what’s possible. I decide I will go out on my bike this evening and tomorrow morning.
I go down stairs, put the kettle on. Feel a bit grumpy about two greasy oven trays left on the side. I didn’t eat what was prepared on them. I wash and tidy up. I accept it’s more important to me than it is to others. As much as I might like others to be more like me in this regard that’s never changed a thing.
Take a cup of tea back upstairs. I have a quick read about Bodhicharya Kent, a Buddhist group based near where I live. I’ve been thinking about going along to one of the meetings since it opened at the beginning of July. Meetings are on Tuesdays.
I look at the images on the website. I run a commentary in my mind about the groups of smiley people pictured. I start to feel a little reluctant about going along. This is my reaction to what is clearly meant to be welcoming. I try to imagine myself in the pictures. It does not come to me. Decided to not let my reaction influence my decision to along tomorrow.
I get up. Have some breakfast followed by 20 minutes meditation. I meditate most days. I have done since around 2009. It benefits me. In many of the ways you may hear attributed to the practice. Started with 30 seconds or so. Reading Leo Babatu’s work on Zen Habits helped me get started.
Brush teeth, shower and get dressed.
Working from home most days. With no commute I always arrive early. I listen to John Lee Hooker and spend the next 50 minutes reading blogs. This is good and not so good. Good because John Lee Hooker is class and reading blogs is entertaining. Not so good because reading blogs leads me to compare the work of others with what I have published. I rarely come out of that well. Remembering a favourite quote:
Comparison is the thief of joy.
Until now I have attributed that to Eleanor Roosevelt. Going by Quote Investigator I was wrong to do so. I live and learn.
That enquiry led me to another quote which intrigued me given my penchant for cycling:
Bicycle Riding, If Persisted In, Leads To Weakness of Mind, General Lunacy, and Homicidal Mania
The Reply from Quote Investigator provides the source and context, and consequently more amusement.
9.00 am comes round. Teams meeting catch up. Just three of us today. Tales of weekend activities are shared. I hear all about the new Evita production playing at the London Palladium. We talk briefly about what work we each have on, wish each other well, then get on with what needs to be done.