| issue number one - September, 2000 Nonduality
Salon Magazine
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A
Walk Down Nonduality Street
David
Hodges
selections from his daily journal
Tuesday,
August 29th, 2000
11:31
pm Today's Top Five List
1 .
Moving Robin into her dorm. It was nice to see her after
a week and a half. We met at my place and packed up her
stereo and computer. She had already packed her fall
clothes, books, and things. We drove over to the dorm on
the other side of town. There were students with their
parents everywhere, carrying boxes and suitcases and
stuff. We met Robin's new roommate who seemed like a
decent, friendly girl, and I set up her computer. Robin
seemed happy and I didn't feel at all sad leaving her
there since she is just 10 minutes away and I expect to
see a lot of her during the coming year.
2 . Yoga Class:
3 1/2 hours during which I drank over a liter of water.
We worked on ankle/foot alignment a lot in the various
postures. I got really good help in triangle pose and
learned the inner visualization that helps with the
twist. Basically, I learned from one of my classmates to
see it as a spiral starting in the root of the spine and
twisting up through the abdominal cavity to the neck. By
entering into that spiral the twist lengthens and
extends. We also did handstands. Like most in the class I
still need help with these but it is exhilarating once
you get into it.
3 . Lunch: Hot pastrami sandwich at Johnny Salami's.
YUMMMM! After settling Robin in, I needed lunch before
returning to work. So I went to Johnny Salami's, a
wonderful gourmet deli on Long Wharf. The hot pastrami
sandwich they made for me was one of the food highlights
of the entire year. I do not make this claim lightly. I
still can bring back the taste and aroma of it. Sitting
at their counter, drinking a coke and listening to owner
address each female customer as "dear" or
"honey" or "young lady" (that to the
older ladies!) added to the singlular charm of this
sandwich.
4 . E-mail from Jerry, Marram, Ani, Rebecca, Polly,
Angela Jerry suggested drinking more water to combat the
headaches. That is good advice which I intend to follow.
Marram thanked me for sending her "The Woman in the
Dunes". Marram is a singular young lady with a
passion for sand dunes. Ani told me about her magazine,
"Intimate Exlosions" and I intend to buy a
copy. Rebecca is a special friend from camp who told me
about how, at the end of the day, she writes at least 5
things in her journal that made her happy. She calls this
her "Happy List." She says it helps her to keep
a postive attitude. That seemed like such a good idea
that that is what I am doing here.
5 . Phone call with Jonathan. He asked for help with a
personal issue and I was glad to provide it. (Comment on
this)
10:37
pm Ginnie (my Yoga teacher) says...
"Most problems with balance start with the
feet." "If you can visualize the movement in
your inner body, then your outer body can do it."
Wednesday,
August 30th, 2000
10:40
pm Today's List
1 .
I walked to work this morning. I love walking through
Wooster Square - the elegant old brownstones, the
old-fashioned streetlamps, the flowers, the park with its
early-morning dog walkers. I got to work feeling grounded
and alive.
2 . As a result of a chance reference in something I read
about the tv show "Survivor" I got interested
in what is called the Prisoner's Dilemma, in which a
person is forced to choose between the greater good of
others and their own self-interest. There are many good
articles on the web about it, and it gave me a lot to
think about. I might write about it soon.
3 . Robin came home for dinner (after being at college
for about 24 hrs!) She had made guacamole when I got
home! It was so good!
4 . Robin and I went to see Cecil B. Demented. It is a
marvel to me how we share the same tastes. The movie was
vintage John Waters. If you don't like John Waters movies
you won't like this one. But we found it pretty funny.
5 . At our staff meeting today, Jake was talking about
some of our corporate customers, and he said, "the
Sargents, the Marlins, the Bayer's" to which I
replied, "oh my!"
Thursday,
August 31st, 2000
9:33
am A Walk Down NonDuality Street
On
my walk to work this morning I came upon a construction
site at a busy intersection. A big piece of power
machinery was digging a trench while about five city
workers in orange safety vests stood around and watched.
The friendly policeman who was directing traffic greeted
me and stopped the cars so I could cross.
Then I passed the fire station and as I did so, the
firemen were scrambling into their trucks for a fire
alarm. I watched as the trucks pulled out, sirens
blaring. I felt like a boy again, inhabiting the pages of
a children's book full of firemen and policemen and dump
trucks! It was fun!
Then I passed through Wooster Square. I stopped in the
center of the green, leafy park for a drink of water at
the fountain in the middle. The water tasted so good and
I felt it descend all the way into my stomach. I stayed
there at the fountain for a few deep breaths and looked
around. There was no one in the park except for a woman
jogger who had stopped to stretch by propping first one
leg then the other on a bench. She didn't seem to be too
into her stretching. She seemed to be as amazed and
gladdened as I was by the astounding givenness of this
new day.
Every day, every moment (for it is all one Day and one
Moment) is given by God, and yet there is no God but the
Day and the Moment and the resounding silent gong of
Conscious Presence.
Friday,
September 1st, 2000
9
:46 pm Today's List
1 .
Outside Modern Pizza - a mother, father, and daughter
waiting to get in. Their faces were extraordinary - full
of happiness. My heart was tugged for a second and I
said, "oh!" as I walked past.
2 . Running into C & M outside a liquor store on
Orange St. - we had an absurd little conversation about
Suzanne...and then they were gone.
3 . A good day of programming - I wrote a nice little
script that parses a text file and uploads it to a temp
table. A few challenges, a neat solution...that's why I
like my work!
4 . Realizing from these lists that my daily walks are
high points of my day, and I should never NOT do them.
5 . Seeing the Logic Puzzle magazine that Robin left on
the couch. At 19 she likes to do these puzzles. She is so
unique! She reminds me of my father more and more. How I
treasure her, my only child!
Current Music: Jerry Garcia Band
10:36
am A good place to be alone Thoughts on going into the
three day Labor Day weekend...
When I lived in the suburbs I used to feel, going into
such a weekend, that the suburbs were a kind of warehouse
for office workers, and that their function was to store
the workers until they were needed again. I think I had
this image because it didn't seem to matter, in the
suburbs, if anyone saw me from Friday at 5 until the
Tuesday after the holiday at 8. I could stand up in a
closet, facing the corner, with a big ON/OFF switch in my
back switched to OFF, for all anyone cared. (Of course I
was married at the time and this is a sorry comment on my
marriage).
In the city I don't have this feeling of disappearing,
unnoticed, into my dwelling. There is lots to do, people
to see, streets to explore, and the major problem is
finding enough time to spend by myself.
I think it was Greta Garbo who, when asked why she chose
to live in New York City, replied that New York was a
good place to be alone.
I agree, the city is a good place to be alone.
12:19
am Today's List of things that made me happy
(Briefly, because I am tired)
1 . Walking to work this morning, standing in the middle
of Wooster Square, feeling the rightness of all that is.
2 . Walking out after lunch for a few minutes by the
harbor, feeling the sunshine, seeing the blue of the
water.
3 . Big night on the phone: First, a conversation with
C...interesting as always.
4 . Then Mark called me with the news that he is marrying
Carla...which means maybe a trip for me to California for
the wedding in a few months.
5 . Then I called Angela to wish her well on her trip to
Maine this weekend.
6 . Then Cindy called me and we had our usual fun
conversation about computers and relationships and her
usual teasing since she knows me so well.
7 . Nice message from Epiphany, who I have added to my
friends list. Hi, Epiphany!
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