The Groove

Usually by now, I’m busy typing up some new ideas and wrapping a framework around it, so that my lovely editor can make sure I’m not writing anything that isn’t too embarrassing.  However, while this past week was busy, it was also steady without any real single event that stood out - making it a little difficult to come up with some useful material.

As I think about it though, these last nine weeks of sabbatical have really been quite adventurous, so perhaps this was a good week to sort of have “mundane” things be the popular focus for me.

Since my sabbatical began, it has been a hit-the-ground-running way-of life.  Filling in my time with things to do has not been hard and actually quite a bit of fun. Looking back, I’ve embraced a huge change of faith as well as career focus, then immersed myself into home life as a stay-home-dad, and even learned all the things I’m not good at (multitasking!).  My beautiful wife and I, along with the help/support of others, rescued a dog in need of serious care, I’ve made wine (and beer too), and was introduced to a local Detroit hero, Fr. Solanus Casey as well as other interesting adventures.

So, now what? All I’ve done this week is help a family move into their home, bust up a concrete driveway, build garden boxes, plant a veggie garden, finish co-writing a grant for a community organization, take a some folks on a tour of a community center in my neighborhood.....but really, what’s that but a slow week? I mean this is what I do before breakfast!  :)  Well, I’m kidding of course. I know this is a lot to do in a week, but in doing these “things” that I enjoy, none of them individually stood out to offer a single piece of amazing insight that I hadn’t already known.  However, they did seem to say in unison: “This is a groove you’ve not experienced before - embrace this”

After reflecting on these events in my 9th week of sabbatical, it has been interesting because I think the groove is the right call.  There hasn’t been any major life change, nor has there been any major source of adventure bubble up out of some unplanned moment.  Rather, I’m finding that the groove is sort of a good thing: Wake up, do your thing, rest, eat, do another thing, reflect and sleep then rinse and repeat. 

Staying busy isn’t a problem for me, but remembering to embrace the moments where there is no action, or new thing, and then to treat it with the same attention as everything else - - this is a new idea for me. So when I hear that cliche phrase “embrace the moment”, I suppose it is only fair to also embrace those moments when things are seemingly mundane, and then learn something from them also.

In a world where there is so much activity, and keeping busy isn’t a problem, maybe it is important for me to not have anything “spectacular” happening and just rest. In fact, saying that means that I should probably schedule in some real rest - even when I’m supposed to be on a sabbatical resting.