[at-l] the Solitude Log - anyone?

[Jim Bullard]

On 6/13/07, Sloetoe <sloetoe at yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> --- Jim Bullard <jim.bullard at gmail.com> wrote:
> > It isn't about time, place or circumstances
> > (those those can help).
>
> ### But it most certainly *is*. You described the
> culture shock of civilization in your teenage years --
> imagine having to live not "north of the Daks" as you
> do now, but back in that "civilization" that captures
> and infuses with noise and disharmonia. Methinks yous
> a bit spoiled.
>
>
> ohsojealoustoe


Spoiled? I made a conscious choice to live here, twice. Once after serving
in the Army and a second time after college. I could have gone elsewhere. I
had opportunities and at several points in time when struggling with the
limits of living in a depressed rural area I chided myself for not going
where opportunities were greater. But my heart is here. If living where I
choose is being spoiled then I guess I am, although in my mind I am merely
content. To be spoiled I'd need a cabin on a lake. :-)

One of my teachers made the observation (paraphrased) that "it is easy go
within on the mountaintop. The trick to learn is to do it in the noise of
the city". I confess that I still have some difficulty doing that in part
because I don't live the city and thus don't practice it. It is possible
though and I can do it with some effort. As I said, I encourage those who
need time away to take it. Do not however, confuse relative ease with
necessity. One thing I learned from the culture shock of my teens is how to
tune out the noise.


-- 
Jim Bullard
http://jims-ramblings.blogspot.com/