The first of the big winter storms blew through the Bay Area today. Winds whipped up the already large waves and the pouring rain made it hard to see much more than a few feet in any direction.
Of course, there were some hardy folk out there surfing anyway. But we assume that most of you recognize that when there are big storms taking place, it’s a good time to stay indoors.
The problem is that our hectic, Internet-dominated, modern world really doesn’t teach us the skills for quiet play.
Our children are hustled from activity to activity, and heaven protect them from boredom.
But quiet play is a very important skill for anyone at any age. The ability to be reflective and open to new ideas and thoughts, and not sad or lonely, when there is a moment of stillness in our lives is very important.
To be able to enjoy the pleasures of watching the wind and the rain and the leaves whirling around outside can be a great gift.
“Doing” is only part of life, and creativity more often emerges from “not doing” than from “doing.”
We have talked elsewhere about the value of a “fallow” period. By this, we refer to the fact that often great ideas emerge from a period of what seems like stagnation.
Of course, there are plenty of ways of spoiling this kind of day. The best is to focus on all of the stuff that “has” to be done. It can probably wait for a few hours, or even a day.
So, if you run across stormy weather and find that you need to retreat a bit from your usual active moodsurfing experience, we hope that you’re able to enjoy the reflective state of mind and value it, just as you do the more productive states of mind.