IN RHYTHM

Farmers, living so close to the land, are often more in rhythm with life, I believe, than the average guy on the street. I am trying to get there but I think it is about "letting go of " rather than acquiring and most times that is much harder for me. My mind is often on overload.

When it rains for weeks farmers gather or divert water and trim hooves. You dig holes for fence posts and mulch the garden. When it doesn't rain for weeks you cut and bale hay and fix equipment that you don't need when it is dry --- that kind of thing. Yesterday, I was trying to trim hooves with a new trimmer when I should have been sharpening old trimmers; yes it hasn't rained for weeks.

So I am out there wondering why it is so hard to trim Hildegard's hooves and thinking the new trimmers I got for cheap are terrible. They might be, but after the second sheep it suddenly occurred to me what the real problem was. There is a reason a manicurist soaks your nails before she/he does anything else.

On the bright side, when we were drumming yesterday, my mind let go and my hands took off. It was the best sustained drumming I have ever experienced. I was FEELING the rhythm. I could sustain my beat and hear how it fit with all the other parts for a long time. It was amazing.

Now, if I can just remember the lessons I learned yesterday------ wouldn't that be nice.