until your brain catches up

I have had lot of meetings at work this week. A LOT. My brain starts to revolt after a certain point. I was talking to Andrew today and told him that I was pretty sure my brain had left the building and he suggested an excellent course of action. "Why don't you go home" he said. "Drop by your house long enough to pick up a book. Head to the beach and stay there until your mind finds you and your brain catches up." Excellent advice. I modified it a little to include a trip to the grocery store for picnic supplies and was on my way.

There's a bit of a wind tonight. Probably not enough to sail on but enough to amplify the sound of the tide coming in. There was no one at my favourite spot so I claimed it for myself once again. Off came the shoes. I couldn't say exactly why, but every time I'm down there it just seems appropriate to ditch the footwear. Maybe it's a sacred soul spot, a business free zone, a place where the world is a little closer to the way it should be. I picnicked and read and listened and waited and you know, Andrew was right. My mind did find me and my brain did catch up. I feel like I've had a good, long sleep.

My roommate Ceone shared a quote with me the other day that goes like this: Don't just do something, stand there. So often we're told that doing something, even the wrong thing, is preferable to waiting. I know that there are times when that's true, times when we have to take a step in any direction or risk being stuck forever. But I think that there are times when the quote holds true as well. If I'm just doing something, anything, without any thought at all then maybe it's time to just stand there. Or just sit on my favourite piece of driftwood. Just for a little while, until my brain catches up.