NOT!
I woke up this morning from a bad, bad dream. I was writing bad checks all over the place. Fun times. Add that to the list of things I hate. I immediately went and paid all my bills.
Oh yeah and I found something even more boring than spinning the second 4oz of singles. PLYING the second 4oz of singles. But I know now that spinning really IS zen if you can get past the monkey brain. Have you ever tried meditation? I’ve only done it a few times, but I could never get past the spot where all the thoughts good bad and uglier than ugly just run around in your “empty” mind willy nilly causing trouble. I think I did it twice and realized NOT.FOR.ME! I need to be active in some way or else I’ll go crazy. My mind can never be empty – or emptiness leads to OCD which leads to insanity. Spinning is like meditation – not quite as bad because at least you are doing something physical, but once I hit that groove – right tension, right treadle speed, etc. I got the monkey mind. I think if I was able to get PAST that it might actually be zen like but for the time being it was a bit too much and I stopped.
And then I started to knit. I managed to knit the short row shoulders on the back of my BW Top Down Sweater and looking on in the directions I can visualize what I will have to do for the front as well. I’m quite excited about it. It only took me three tries to get the short rows right which is nothing short of embarrassing since not that long ago I was Short Row QUEEN. But alas, it is true: USE IT OR LOSE IT.
Today there will be LOTS of knitting. Mostly on the knee high which I hope to have finished by the weekend. Pictures tomorrow. I’m excited to see how the pooling does or does not match up.
Boring I know. Thanks for all the comments yesterday. I found it funny that a lot the comments were about the people who let their dogs off leash AND that those comments were mostly from dog owners. They say all you need is love but I’m not so sure about that. I think all you need is RESPECT. We’re sorely lacking that in today’s world. So go on out and respect someone today. Go ahead. I dare you!
To get past the Monkey Brain you have to go through it. Do to that, just sit with it for a while. If you feel the impulse to jump up, just stop and stay where you are for a bit longer.
Chances are that once your Monkey Brain settles down, you will touch the deep places inside yourself where you might find something you didn’t know was there. It can be scary, as so we protect ourselves with the Monkey. However, it can also be extreemely rewarding.
They only way to learn it is to practice, practice, practice.
Respect is something that is sorely lacking today. Everyone seems to think only of themselves. Sad, really.
It’s hard to empty your mind of all thoughts. Very occasionally I can make it happen, but it usually takes longer than I actually have to meditate:)
I had bad dreams to 🙁
You’re so right about the respect thing. Manners go along with that – what ever happened to “please” and “thank you”? Sheesh. And sometimes that’s all it takes to take the edge off boorish behaviour – my favourite: if someone’s a jackass on the road, and cuts me off (dangerously), suddenly it’s not so bad if they give me The Wave.
It will not surprise you to know that I suck at meditation.
I almost typed medication. I suck at that, too 😉
Respect is the biggest and best part of love. People just never seem to remember that.
R-E-S-P-E-C-T find out what it means to me . . .
Oh man, respect. In L.A. you don’t get any of that on the road. It’s all about self-entitlement, arrogance, or selfishness.
Anyway, I’m like you with the plying. The 3-ply pink and green I just did? Torture. I’m teaching myself to spin low-twist singles now.
I don’t own a dog at the moment, but I grew up with them, and I am so a dog-on-the-leash person. Have you ever tried yoga? It helps me calm my mind a lot. Of course, you have to work at it. Good luck!
I have to be doing something to acheive that kind of meditative state too; I used to be able to do it while sanding wooden bowls on the lathe. Actually sanding in general — it’s repetitive enough to put me in that groove. I can see how spinning would do it too!
Now I’ll have Aretha in my head all day…not that that’s a bad thing. Very few dogs should be off the lesh and only those that are completely trained to heel and stay. I only know one dog like that out of all the dogs I know and it isn’t Moxie or Murphy!
I spun all morning and if I could do what I want today I’d still be doing it. Wish I could sit and spin or knit with you!
Meditation is not for me either. Like you I love the zen like feeling I get while I’m spinning!
I have never tried meditation — I think I’m too jumpy, impatient, I’d be bored, I don’t want to think about or through all that monkey business stuff. I think I HAVE meditated, but it’s something that comes over me, something that happens to me and I’m really not even aware ’til I’m there, it’s not something that I “do.”
Does that make sense?
All hail the Queen of Short Rows. I, for one, have no doubt that she shall reign supreme again… wearing her beautiful, striped, short-rowed mantle/sweater. ; )
Have you ever read The Mists of Avalon? I (hehe) have read it a few times, and though I’ve never spun an inch of my own yarn I can never forget how much the MZB dwells on the tedium and trance-inducing nature of spinning. Makes me laugh (with sympathy, of course) to read this post. Maybe the author really was a spinner?
I want a t-shirt that says that… “Go out and respect someone today!” Brilliant.
I like to listen to podcasts or an audio book while I spin. They go extremely well together!
To respect, to trust, to honor, mutual appreciation – all words that live in the same neighborhood. Not a bad ‘hood to live in…..
If it’s okay with you, though, I refuse to respect the president. Well, even if it’s not okay with you. It’s just something I have to (not) do.
That’s funny, I used to get to that zen place within about 3.2 seconds of starting to spin, and lately it’s really hard. I keep wondering if it’s 1) the slippery superwash merino 2) the fact that I’m spinning it really fine and it’s taking eons to fill up a bobbin. It’s getting easier, though.