Living Together

Well it has been a very eventful day and by that I mean I haven't done much at all. However, I did exercise my constitutional right and responsibility. I voted. In California we still have a June election. I think this would have normally been paired with the Presidential primary but instead we had our primary in February on Super Duper Tuesday--I'm sure that means we wanted to get in on the primary action like everyone else, but unlike Florida and Michigan our votes will count because it wasn't too early. So anyway I voted today because I'll be away next Tuesday, our regular election day.
Beginning on Sunday I'll be in San Diego visiting my friends Mark and Mary Sue and their new children Hannah and Isaac. So the other thing I began doing today was knitting a hat. I made them a baby blanket but I had extra yarn so I'm going to make a couple of hats as well. But other than that I didn't do anything else today except take a nap. Ahhh, sabbatical.
I just finished eating a burrito and I'm drinking a glass of water. Now that is a very important thing to note, it is a glass of water. Before I went to Scotland I drank bottles of water. I would buy cases of it at Safeway or Target and then just grab a bottle out of the refrigerator. I knew that I was more likely to grab a bottle of water than to fill up a glass. But when I went to Scotland, specifically Iona, I really felt connected to the earth. I think I learned clearly for the first time that we are not set up to control or dominate the land nor the rest of the creatures that live on it. Instead we live together, the humans, the animals, the trees, all the living things on the planet. We reside together.
This became clearest to me, I think, the day that I went for a swim while on Iona. (And by swim I mean I got into the water and then got out because it was really, really cold.) I had to walk about 25 minutes to get to the spot that I had chosen to go swimming in. On my way there I passed cows and sheep. Then as I entered this shaded spot I saw a dead lamb. It didn't look as if he had died a violent death but instead had probably found this spot to die. But then as I was sitting on the beach another sheep and lamb just walked right out on the beach with me. We were there together. I wondered if they were grieving the loss of the lamb that had died too young like I was grieving the loss of a lamb that died too young. Was the lamb that died the brother or sister of the lamb that was sharing the beach with me? In that moment we were all there together.
So I've come back with (a) a call to spend more time out doors. Now let's be clear I'm not going camping anytime soon. Although, that might happen at some point. But I am feeling a tug outdoors, hence the hike this weekend. (B) I'm trying to make at least a little change in a behavior that affects the planet and the rest of its residents. I am giving up buying bottled water. I've been filling up a pitcher of water and keeping a water bottle filled as well. So far I'm doing really well. And even better I'm well hydrated--urine is clear, clear, clear. (The water bottle thing also probably has a little bit with the fact that Copey bugged me about water bottles every single day we were traveling together.)

Drinking another glass of water.

Peace out