Plans Emerging - A Post From The Black Hole

I'm still plugging away here in Texas but things are about to get more interesting. I was hoping to make a trip down to Central America during the winter but due to some good money making opportunities and more ambitious travel ideas I’ve chosen to stay Houston bound.

I’m currently sitting in funky Houston coffee shop located in a small mid century side street shopping center. The floor is concrete and all of the furniture is of 1950’s and 60’s design. My mini laptop computer sits on a long thin dark wood grained “garage sale special” coffee table with a fishbowl containing a blue fish named Sally Marouge. I thought for sure the person sitting across from me was a 20 year old young man but now I think he’s a girl. It appears as though I’m one of the only ones who doesn’t have a Mac laptop. Dreamy steel guitar laden music fills the void at just the right volume. They call this place the Black Hole. Neon sign on order, due to arrive soon……. It’s a delightful venue for planning the next journey.

Life is starting to get a little more exciting as I’m putting a plan to paper. By the end of the week I should have a ticket and a new adventure will start to take shape. I plan to be on my way at the beginning of April. Between now and then I’ll be incredibly busy but by time I leave things should be in good order so I can surrender to the serendipity and flow that travel tends to create. I’ll reveal my general plan once a ticket is secured. I’m also considering what I’ll do once I return to the states. By the end of the week I intend to have a good idea as to what I’m doing for the next year or so. As always, nothing is set in stone in order to allow for unforeseen obstacles and/or possibilities.

My life is somewhat split between two lives. One is the stay put head down worker in pursuit of fuel for freedom otherwise known as money. While in this mode I can be more or less content living within a relatively predictable day to day twenty mile radius. The other side of me is a world traveler backpacker flying on the wings of loose plans. Regardless of whichever side I’m on I eventually get tired so I jump to the other side. Needless to say the bank account often dictates the when this will happen. In the in-betweens that fall between I wrestle with the issue of higher purpose and meaning but I think I might be getting a better handle on it. As always I feel very fortunate to have the freedom to pursue my zeal for experiencing new things. I think this puts me in a unique position to be available for something bigger beyond myself. I can’t say I’ve gotten there yet but I feel like I’m getting closer. Just don’t ask me about it.

On another note I’m still abstaining from alcohol which has been remarkably easy and refreshing. I think I just kind of tired of it for awhile and don't need the distraction right now. That along with doing Yoga on a regular basis has been really good for my mind. The Yoga center I go to takes a fitness centered approach towards Yoga and aside of closing with a Namaste doesn’t touch on the spiritual foundation but it seems to be having a spiritual affect on me in a number of subtle ways. The yogis of India say practice, practice, practice and things will happen. Simple as that. It’s all a mystery but very positive in my experience.

Now? Back to work....

The Path Ahead

Mild warm weather after a couple of rare wintry days inspired me to drive to the coast this past Sunday. From Houston I drove an hour or so down to Surfside then along the shoreline for about 45 minutes to Galveston. It was a great day for it. The photo above I took while walking on a jetty at Surfside. There are a two long jetties built there to break surf so oil tankers can safely access a canal to a couple of coastal refineries. With the Gulf of Mexico flat and calm the long jetty extended like a thin walkway disappearing into a serene oceanic horizon.

This blog has been very quiet as my life has been consumed by narrow focus and distractions of work. For the most part work has been going well and as usual I really can’t complain, however, I only go for so long before once again contemplating deeper questions concerning life’s purpose and living up to my full potential. These are two area’s where I know I’m falling short and blame nothing but myself. It’s becoming more and more of a riddle that deeply confounds me.

Since the New year I’ve totally given up alcohol and got rid of the TV. I’ve never had a TV or drinking problem but the two can be a profound distraction in my opinion. I don’t have an addictive personality so it’s been easy to abstain. The fun thing about having a couple of beers with friends is letting off steam after a busy work week etc.,. I’ve had many good times sharing a few beers with friends and at some point will resume appreciating the malt beverage but the truth is alcohol is a drug. It changes brain chemistry. Even one or two have an affect. The short term high is usually followed by a little bit lower low etc. thus leading to more significant ups and downs in my opinion. People are different when they drink. I don’t care if it’s only one drink. People act differently under the influence. In some cases it might be a better different and possibly even therapeutic because of it’s stress relieving affect. At the same time though it can add to confusion and/or enable one to just fall into a way of blocking and avoiding issues that should probably be dealt with. I think alcohol can stunt ones growth just as much as any drug. Ultimately real change has to come with a clear head, a clear mind. Obviously heavy drinking is never good.

For the month of January I got on a regular Yoga routine which has proven to be very positive. The science of Yoga isn’t about stretching and tying yourself into a knot. It’s about how energy flows through your body. Energy is the electrical spark that fires the heart, the blood that flows through the veins and the oxygen that feeds the blood. Yoga is about getting everything to flow correctly and efficiently. It’s obviously good for the body but it’s but it’s even better for the mind. Lately I’ve found it to be especially beneficial.

I prefer Hot Yoga. Probably because I like to sweat and have been an athlete all my life. It’s done in room that’s heated to around 100 degrees Fahrenheit. For some the heat may be too much but an hour and a half session doesn’t bother me. It enhances focus and allows the muscles to be a little more flexible with less risk of straining anything. What I don’t like about it is that it requires a specially designed hot room and can be kind of expensive to attend classes regularly.

Aside of specific exercises the yoga lifestyle includes meditation to quiet the mind and a well balanced healthy diet. When I worked at the European Yoga festival last summer no one drank, smoked, or ate meat. The attitude was why would you want to? An interesting yet understandable by product of consistent yoga is that my running pace has increased quite a bit. Markedly so in a very short period of time without any kind of speed oriented training. Running continues to be a regular part of my life as it has been since I was 10 years old, however, I have no competitive interests at this time. Been there, done that.

So, the road ahead? What’s next? Between now and early April plans are really up in the air. There are things that need tending to and decisions that need to be made. It might be best for me to hang tight and continue plugging away for just a little while longer even though the itch to travel is really starting to get to me. What’s different this time is the necessity to better grasp and solve a riddle that I really can’t be put off any longer.