A Slow Walk

Natalie Goldberg's Writing Down the Bones Deck Prompts - Go for a walk. Not a fast walk. This is not to get your heart rate up. Go slow. Right foot; one step. Left foot; another step. Enjoy this slow walking.

Now write for ten minutes. Begin with "What I didn't see..."

What I didn't see was light in the hallway to the outdoors. What I didn't see was the sunrise, and there was a surprise waiting for me out the small window in the door. When stepping outside what I didn't see was the birds that were singing.

What I didn't see was the neighbors in their car, driving by, or the school bus that stops for a short stop just up the road, as I have seen when the sunrise is later. There aren't many cars going by on the highway as I wouldn't see much of them but I can usually hear them.

What I didn't see was any other critters that are more than likely out there somewhere. What I didn't see was the snow that I saw on Saturday and Sunday. The carport blocks my view of the sunrise. I had to keep walking to see the sunrise, or what was there of it.

What I didn't see were the voices that came on when I turned on my camera. Only the surprise of the loud voices, with no one in sight. What I didn't see was no deer in the field.

The sunrise was at 7:15 at my location and I wasn't looking to see the exact time. I heard the birds singing though and knew the sunrise had arrived, as the birds sing at sunrise.

Natalie Goldberg's Writing Down the Bones Deck Prompts - Look around as you walk. Just look. Sparrow on the telephone wire. Empty bag of chips against barbed wire fence. No comment. Just see. Take in. Sky, tree, truck, biker, field, dog. Relax the tendency to judge. Feel your hip shift, knee life, heel place.

For now receive the world as it is. The more you can receive it, the more you can also receive your thoughts and voice inside you.

Take this walk once a week in different places: for instance, down the hall at work. (Are you thinking, Is she crazy? I can't do this at work! Well, try a semblance of it -- slow walk to the bathroom. Right in the middle of your busy job, cut out some time for yourself. Even three minutes."

Writing is another dimension that you can contact any time. Maybe not by always physically writing -- but give yourself moments to receive and accept your world, just as it is.

It can be difficult to only say what I didn't see. It took more time to say the above than it would normally take to describe what I did see.

It was a good writing exercise though and I will continue the slow walks in the coming days to see if I have an easier time describing what I am not seeing. It is more about the description and slowing down for me that is important to practice.

In moving fast it is possible to miss so much. Or just moving and not paying attention is my usual mode of operandum. And I noticed what I do notice more in doing this exercise.