WHAT DO WRITERS DO BESIDES WRITE? PART 2: MY QUEST FOR TRANQUILITY

STRAWBERRY FIELDS WITH MT. BAKER IN DISTANCE

"Empty your mind of all thoughts.

Let your heart be at peace..." Tao Te Ching 16

And so, after the visit to the Buddhist Temple, and since reading that inspiring book "Eat, Pray, Love", I decided it was time to withdraw into a more peaceful space; meditate; keep centred; and be still...if I could be in this busy life of mine.

So the day after the two-day eat-a-thon, my two friends and I drove out to the country to get fresh strawberries. What a lovely day it was, and how sweet those strawberries, all freshly picked. We had lunch by the river first, then a stroll around the little town of Steveston (where I'd been two days before); then we went to get the strawberries. It was such a clear, beautiful day there was an amazingly clear view of Mt. Baker which is south in Washington State.


On my quest for solitude and relaxation I also went to the park one day. I strolled through the rose gardens, all the pretty flowers in full bloom. Now I have a collection of rose photos. So exquisite!
And then, of course, to my favorite spot on the beach where I went for a picnic after I'd had my swim in the pool (I do swim in the ocean sometimes but I enjoy the swimming pool then I usually come and sit on the beach. I find that being near or in the water, it seems to wash away all the tension and helps me relax my mind so that crystal clear thoughts come to me. I often do some of my writing while I'm walking or sitting on the beach.

So now I am trying to keep myself back on a program that will be condusive to create thoughts so I can proceed with the rest of the novel. I have been taking acupuncture treatments for my back and foot problems and it has helped a lot. Now I can walk again without pain, and I am feeling more limber each day. If I can swim a few times a week, do my fitness walking, ride my bike and dance! then I will feel physically better and more able to concentrate on my creative thoughts. I'll have lots of these solitary picnics this summer, plus little outings to parks and beaches. The clearest and best thoughts come to me when my mind is relaxed and free of the daily clutter and negativity that can sometimes clog it up. That's why meditation is so important for a writer.

"Do your work, then step back.

The only path to serenity." Tao Te Ching 9