Back in Action

And he's back. Not sure what to write about off the top of my head other than summarizing my vacation which isn't that interesting to be honest. Yes I had a great time visiting places I had never been which included hiking, sailing on the Pacific, and sleeping beneath the stars on said boat but that's about all that needs to be said.

Jess and I are narrowing down our choices for a new place to live in Ottawa and hopefully by tomorrow we will have a concrete decision. I'm looking forward to starting my next chapter, whatever that may be. I think it's time to look into my treasure trove of ideas and pull out a new writing topic.

Interesting. As I look through my notebook of jotted down ideas, I notice that the majority are nearly impossible to contextualize now that the initial inspiration is gone. By this I mean that I'm not sure exactly what I was trying to say.

I wonder if it has to do with looking at these ideas with a fresh set of eyes. Being away from the internet and the influences of mainstream society may have made a larger impact than I initially realized. Lately I have been diligent in staying aware of my breathing patterns, making sure to take deeper breaths from the diaphragm rather than shallow ones from the chest. Another thing I picked up from acting class. What I notice is that when I am stressed I take very shallow breaths or stop breathing altogether. Now I know I'm not actually not breathing but that's what it feels like compared to taking deep breaths. And I have to constantly keep reminding myself to breathe deeper. Now, on return from vacation I realize that my stress has greatly diminished and that my breathing was at the time more aligned with my state of calm. I was essentially in a "real life" bullshit detox.

This brings me to an amazing idea in a great piece of art in the form of My Dinner with Andre. Essentially we are all willfully living in a prison of our own creation (cities) and nature is the enlightenment we so desperately need in a world of created problems and stresses. I have yet to watch the entire movie but this one clip inspired me years ago that I still think of frequently. It rang true 30 years ago and it just seems to be getting more and more relevant as the years fly by.

I guess the main point of this post is to come to the realization that most of our first world problems aren't really problems. That were so lucky to even be able to travel, be fed, be loved, and be safe. We need to learn to breathe deeper, be present in our own lives, and not let the little things get in the way. And yes, they're all little.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68JLWyPxt7g

Aaron