That may sound obvious, but don’t we often postpone something because we’re not where we think we should be? We sit snugly in judgment on ourselves. Accepting where we are opens the door to taking the next step. How can one take a step from any other place?
Perhaps the wisdom is that being where we are is a gift not only to ourselves, but also to others.
In his book, After the Ecstacy, the Laundry, Jack Kornfield tells a story of complaining to his teacher, a very wise and revered man, that he didn’t always act completely enlightened. His teacher, Ajahn Chah, laughed and told him that was a good thing “because otherwise you would still be imagining that you could find the Buddha outside of yourself. And he is not here.”
Tags: Ajahn Chah, Buddha, Jack Kornfield
How often do you have to knit to be a “knitter”? or how well? Is it the finished products that make a “knitter”? or the intention?
I propose that one can be a primitive knitter with only one stitch and qualify as a “knitter” on the grounds that creativity has found a medium for expression, With a descriptive adjective to honor tradition, one could be a “master knitter” and embody the areas of excellence and knowledge, or a beginning, intuitive knitter. Intention matters. Honoring one’s process matters.
I have not heard any rumors of the Fussy Knitters Association issuing citations for fraudulent references by self proclaimed “knitters”.
Tags: beginning, expression, knit, knitter, knitting
Knitting can be enormously complicated, but one can choose to focus on something very simple. The simplicity offers an opportunity to notice the early entrance of our resident evaluators. Sylvia Boorstein writes about keeping things simple in her book, Don’t Just Do Something, Sit There. “When we are able to watch our experience in detail, we see clearly the internal ping-pong of the mind as it goes about liking or not liking every single thing.”
In addition, with knitting, one may notice how free other people, including strangers, feel to comment on whatever one happens to be knitting. What an unexpected kindness to offer this reminder, this external reflection of a loyal internal process.
Tags: judging, Sylvia Boorstein
Perhaps yarn should be named. Seems more personal than accepting the name of the yarn and color that comes on the label. Working with the yarn, one gets to know it in a different way, and discovers its true name. Like Ursula LeGuin talks about in the Earthsea Trilogy. Only certain people speak someone’s true name and then they have a special relationship that is unique to seeing someone’s true name.
Currently, I am using “frog in the snow” . I realize that once it is finished and has become a scarf, it may need to be re-named. That is as it should be. The wearer will know best.
Tags: Add new tag, knitting, naming, Ursula LeGuin
The next TeleSeminar series will have a new approach. Continuing the questions and answer feature, and the Hearthside Chat style, we’ll be branching out to other issues- all with the focus of bringing forth one’s personal best. We welcome comments, requests, etc. via email here at Timely Talks. The address is in the “About Us” section.
Tags: new series, personal best
I favor the surprise strategy. It’s a no-fail approach because there’s no picture with which to compare the outcome. I am genuinely curious what something will look like and enjoy wondering. The experience is an exercise in watching expectations arise and not holding on to them. Staying in the present and knowing that it just is what it is at any given time.
The perfectionist in residence watches, waiting for the chance to step up and complain. Some people have a perfectionist that has been well trained and sleeps through the project. Other people have perfectionists that whine alot. Some are unabashedly harsh and don’t know when they’ve worn out their welcome.
We knitters are a polite bunch and must find a graceful way to dismiss the overworked perfectionist-elf. Maybe knitting a cute little scarf for the elf would be a sweet good-bye gift. It could double as a bookmark, but we’d always know that it was a little something that the elf left behind.
Tags: curiousity, pattern, perfectionist elf
How tempting to want to save our children and teens from the mistakes we made. Some of what we consider “mistakes” may be things that kept us from doing something that we valued, or got in the way of our dream. But our children have their own dreams and what may have been a mistake for us may be exactly what would move them toward their goal. Listening for our children’s dreams and hopes, and supporting them, is one of the most valuable and challenging things we could do for them as parents (or significant adults in their lives).
When I was a young adult, my father said to me ”I made my mistakes, and now it’s time for you to go forth and make your own.” Perhaps that’s what makes a life. The mistakes we make and how we handle them. Do we learn from them, make the best of things, or dwell in regrets? What do we tell ourselves about our mistakes? I apppreciate my father’s gift in letting me know that I would be making my own mistakes, and that it was okay, that it was to be expected.
Fall down, get up is one motion.
Tags: mistakes, protection
The traditional birthday card is getting nervous. Cards sent electronically are less costly and quicker to send. The competition is steep. The paper cards that would be saved, put into scrapbooks or tucked into a drawer are becoming a threatened species. Clutter is out and efficiency is in.
At the same time, the make-your-own-card trend has picked up, supported by Martha Stewart’s products. An expansion of the scrapbooking phase I think. Here in the 21st century, we have become a complex arena of greetings.
In the 60’s and 70’s and even the 80’s greeting card life was still simple. One choice, cards. Now, we are becoming polarized into e-card senders, and the make-your-own-paper-card senders at the opposite pole. In the middle is the make-your-own card and print it out on the computer group, along with buyers of a plethora of paper cards, lining the aisle in stores, with prices as high as many gifts.
We might see the traditional birthday card on Prozac soon.
Tags: birthday card, e-cards, greeting cards
As we leave childhood behind, we leave behind some of the comforts of the blankie. Some adults secretly have a blankie that travels with them and comforts them at home. Only a few intimate friends and family know. I don’t know any adult that is really open about their attachment to a blanket, or remaining part thereof. But I know several that are “closet blankie afficiaonados.”
A socially acceptable adult counterpart is the scarf. There is the phase of knitting a scarf. Then the giving of the scarf as a gift. Since the scarf is a gift it takes on a special place of honor. Depending on the texture and feel of the scarf, it may gracefully move into the niche left by the blankie. For this function, the scarf has to match almost anything. The look of it is less essential than the actual feel of it.
I don’t know how our society grew to think blankies were just for babies and insecure children. Burlington could have opened up a whole other market for their soft blankets. Marketing is a very powerful thing and could be used to increase the comfort of men and women as they proudly carried their blankies. Our celebrities could lead the way, and Oscar night could feature all the blankies that were calming the anxious nominees. Elvis’s blankie could have been auctioned off for a good cause, and people could stand as the Queen’s royal blankie appears.
For now, we have scarves- knitted, silk, fringed, cashmere , elegant or funky, passing as fashion statements while the blankies are at home out of public view, waiting patiently to be reunited.
Thank you to Rebecca Plum for sharing her article with us, Talking to your Child about your New Baby. You can click on the title and access it to read and print out. The concise one page article would make a nice baby shower gift enclosure or something to pass along when the occasion presents itself. Since it’s a pdf, you can download it on your computer and have for when it becomes relevant. The books she mentions as resources are available on our New Baby resource page, part of the Parenting Resources Link. With Rebecca’s years of experience as a Postpartum Doula and instructor for new and expecting parents, the information is not just theoretical!
Tags: new baby, Rebecca Plum, talking