The Zen of X

One of the things I like about travelling alone is the fact that I can notice more and absorb more than I would if I were with a friend.

My way of bringing someone along is to blog. In travelling alone and blogging about it, I feel like I kind of have the best of both worlds: experiencing what I see and then sharing it with friends. However, there are drawbacks to blogging as well. Sometimes I find myself experiencing my surroundings as a writer and, rather than a direct experience of the event, I am experiencing the event as if I am writing about it and hearing my own running commentary. But then, come to think of it, this may not be all that different from most everybody else. How many people actually have direct and immediate experiences without attending thoughts about what they are experiencing?

I'm not saying this is a bad thing, but the "ideal" situation I think would be to have a direct experience of the event and then re-create the event in words from memory.

Whatever.

When hearing Mozart's music, the emperor uttered: "too many notes" (Amadeus). I have found that comment to be the most hilarious thing, but have not, as yet, found anyone who shares my sentiment. I also think my paraphrase is pretty funny: "too many words." That being said, today I am taking a break from blogging. I am just absorbing and relaxing and trying to have the equivalent of a meditative travel experience, if you will — the Zen of Aix ("X").

And now, to remind myself to "keep a green bough….."

If you keep a green bough in your heart,

surely the singing bird will come.
(Chinese proverb — as per Shalem Institute's Facebook post today.)