The dog days of summer are a restful time
By Sandra Post | 2nd August 2007
Dog days of summer remind me of restful times rather than scorching Midwest afternoons. Probably because when I hear the word dog, my ears perk up, similar to my canine friends, and my heart bubbles over with love. Dogs have occupied a special place in my life since I was a child. I love them immensely. And I know how they love to lie on the ground or a cold surface and do absolutely nothing. I can identify with the doing nothing part. Not that it’s anything to brag about, but I am excellent at such inaction. Type A people find it excruciatingly difficult to simply be still and not accomplish something. Too bad for them.
While I’m better than good at being physically inactive, my mind is always going. The nuns from my school days used to suggest meditation as a form of prayer. God was uncomfortably distant when I would sit and try clearing my mind. I’ve grown to love quiet and sitting, but I find trying to empty my mind tedious work. My racing thoughts are often helpful in sorting out situations. In the early morning, I so enjoy hot coffee and thinking about my life. And I’ve come up with a thought or two about our existence in this interesting and multi-dimensional world.
Questions are thought provoking and not to be boastful, but I excel at questions. Many are philosophical in nature, while others are a bit random. For example, where do all the crumbs and debris in the silverware drawer come from and how do they squeeze inside a closed drawer? I’ve found tiny unsavory pieces of “stuff” next to the knives and forks and I’m baffled about their origin when the silverware is put away clean. Or why do cobwebs appear only after company has arrived? Where were they the day before or that morning when I was cleaning? Invisible! Only to resurface when guests are looking about the house. There are myriad such questions one might ask, and I do, often.
And observations, I love them. During the recent televised concert in memory of Princess Diana, one young man’s enthusiasm for the music was contagious. He was swaying and moving and wearing an enormous smile. He had no sense of rhythm, at least none he was displaying, but that didn’t bother him in the least. He was into the music and was a great reminder to the rest of us more self-conscious souls that ability is no match for enjoyment. I’m certain Princess Diana would concur.
My most recent observation is that multi-tasking is currently not good for me. “Concentrate on the activity you’re engaged in,” say the memory enhancing articles that are now so pertinent to me. My mother used to encourage me to multi-task long before the word was in vogue. No more. I lose track of the where and why and everything in between. One thing at a time is my mantra. Positive outcomes are more important than quantity of accomplishments.
While I no longer have a loving dog to join me in the task of doing nothing, I still delight in the inactivity. Dog days of summer or winter wonderlands, matters not. No multi-tasking allowed! Just thoughts and observations and questions for pondering.