Minimalism Update

After my first thirty day experiment with divesting myself of excess material possessions, I conducted a second thirty day round and twenty two days through a third round.  I've gotten rid of over one thousand excess items through donations, giving things away to friends or acquaintances, and just putting some things in a dumpster.

Round Three - Day 22

Today, I gave some tools that I haven't used since 2007 away to a friend of mine who will hopefully put them to use in his business. I also got rid of some items that I've been hauling around since middle school or at the latest high school.

During the first round of minimalism, I looked at all of these items and thought that there was no way I could bring myself to give them up. One of the interesting aspects of this nearly daily practice is just how much that outlook has changed over the intervening period. I find that I hold onto material things for one of three reasons.

1) I have a use for the item, or it brings me joy.

2) Just in case.

3) The item has become tied to my past in a way that makes it difficult to part ways with. The items has "become" part of my identity or at least part of the way I define myself.

Those last two categories of items are the ones I'm slowly getting rid of to lighten my load, and the more I lean into the discomfort associated with both of those reasons the better I feel about walking away from material things that I did not imagine I'd ever want to get rid of a little less than ninety days ago. 

This exercise has cleared my garage and my mind of some of the clutter that's built up over the years. It has made me more aware of the present, and increased my consciousness of the often unhealthy relationships that I've developed with material possessions. One side effect of that consciousness is a  non-trivial change in my purchasing habits. Impulse buying (which I didn't even recognize I was doing) has largely vanished. I've become much more deliberate in the use of my monetary resources.

This daily practice has also made me aware of the value of starting a new lifestyle "habit" slowly but keeping it up for thirty days. This suggestion has been made time and time again, but it really is one of the most effective approaches that I've found to ramp into and solidify an new way of living.

I'll take a brief pause from my minimalism activities tomorrow as I hit the road, bound for the midwest, but I have confidence that I'll pick it back up again when I return. I don't know what tomorrow holds in store for me, but I sense I'm on a good path and I'm looking forward to seeing what surprises wait around the next bend in the trail.

Slumbering 'Yaks

The sun stood out from the sky like a smear of orange marmalade on burnt toast.  It's been a long week, and I'm looking forward to getting some rest.

Slumbering 'Yaks - Anacostia River - Washington, DC

Tomorrow is another day, and it will be interesting to see what is revealed.

Unexpected Gifts from the Universe

Today wrapped up the biggest part of the real work for the week.  It's been trying with the retirement of a very close colleague and confidant. We tried very hard to honor his service, but I feel like I've been unsuccessful in communicating just how much our professional relationship has meant to me over the last two years. It's almost over, and though I don't think I've done him justice, I'm glad the experience is wrapping up.

After work, I did some work on a house to get it ready to sell. Crawl space diving is not too bad, but it's really not on the top of my list of things to repeat anytime soon. I'd basically written off the day based on the burdened emotions from the afternoon coupled with the dirty work of the early evening when the Universe delivered a gift right at the end of the day.

West River Sunset - Chesapeake Yacht Club -Shady Side, MD

Getting into the car, I noticed the sunset through the trees and chased it down to the banks of the West River in Maryland.  When I got there, the gates to the Chesapeake Yacht Club were serendipitously open, and this was the sight that greeted me when I drove (in a quite unauthorized fashion) into the parking lot.

Moments like these serve to remind me that I'm not in control, and frankly, don't have to even make an attempt at that sort of effort. A written-off evening was transformed through no effort of my own. It's a good reminder to let matters play out along the course and the timeline that the Universe sets for each of us. It reminds me to look toward the adventure that is tomorrow and cherish each moment because you never can tell what's just around the next bend in the path.

Separation From Friends

Today was another taxing, but productive day.  The early morning ambulation came off without a hitch and the universe treated me to quite a light show as the sun peeked up over the horizon. It was a great way to start the day.

Sculling on the Anacostia

The water was glassy, and that's the first time the reflection set-up has been this spectacular for a very long time.

Anacostia Light Show

As the dawn progressed, the colors got deeper, and the hint of fall in the air begged an easy pace to enjoy the show.

Anacostia Waterfront Halo

Sunbeams shot through the clouds creating a halo over the post industrial section of the Anacostia Riverfront.

Sky in the Water - Anacostia River

The river pulled the sky under the surface and did its part to enliven the palette.

The rest of the day was a little more taxing, but thanks to the practice of fitness, starting the day right, and some help from my friends quite a bit got accomplished. Tomorrow we send off one of the very best of us from the day job into retirement. I'm happy for his upcoming change of pace, grateful for his untiring support over the last two years, and saddened to see him part company with a group of folks who have ground it out to bury our critics in success.  I'm looking forward to how the day unfolds, and I hope that the universe grants me the strength and wisdom to honor this great man's contributions to his county, his service, and our little band of merry brothers. It's going to be epic.

You Just Can't Make This Stuff Up...Happening Now

Today has been an emotionally taxing day. At my day job, we're about to lose one of the great steady hands at the program management game to retirement, one of our brightest young guns is moving to their next opportunity, and we're getting a new arrival who is going to relieve me of some work I've been inadequately covering for the last three months. Truth be told, tiredness is rearing it's head a bit, and I could use some downtime.

Even in the face of these minor challenges, the sun still managed to rise and bathe the Anacostia River with a golden light the flashed purple in the clouds hovering on the western horizon.

Dawn Breaks over the Anacostia Riverfront

The air has just the faintest tease of autumn in the air. The heat will no doubt return, but this morning was immaculate. Rory Conlan correctly sussed out that I'm a little lower than normal, and though I denied it, I'm not sure he bought my story. Letting friends go is hard. I like to believe that we've a shared crucible over the last four years that is impossible to express in the ceremonies that are just around the corner later this week. We've shared laughter, frustration, elation, struggle, anger, disappointment, and something just short of ecstasy working to bring ships to life. The meals, the time on the road, the endless meetings, and the triumph of getting things accomplished that no one really gave us very good odds of accomplishing should be satisfying, but I can't help but feel the real loss that the departure of these great people is going to cause.

Of course the gaps will be filled, the work will go on, new challenges arise, and new victories materialize. All those things will happen, but today feels like the breaking up of a band, the separation from a long cherished significant other. For the last four years, I've spent more time with these folks than anyone else in my life, and this end of an era saddens me. I don't know if I have the energy for what's about to happen. The world spins on, and the sun is setting on this phase of our lives that we've shared.

Sunset on College Creek - Annapolis, MD

You just can't make this stuff up. It's been a glorious run, and while my experience indicates that the sun will rise again tomorrow, and much of the same features will be largely unchanged, it's a bit of a shock to be faced with the stark reality that our lives are anything but static. It's also a reminder to cherish every single precious moment that we're granted together in the pursuit of worthy goals.

I'm looking forward to what the dawn tomorrow will reveal because right now I'm wishing I could slow down the sun just a tick as it sweeps onward on the arc of our lives.

Meeting a Fellow Traveller

Today, I went searching for a slightly different view of the sunrise over the Anacostia River.  I was also running a little short on time for the morning ambulation, and because of the confluence of these events took a route less travelled.  I did get a slight different view of the rising of the sun, but that's not the only thing that happened.

Sunrise on the Anacostia as Seen Under the 11th Street Bridge - Washington, DC

Shortly after taking this picture, I walked up to the crest of the 11th Street Bridge in Southeast, Washington, DC, and on my way to the top I was passed by a relatively young woman jogging and carrying a video camera on a tripod.

She set up her camera on one of the pedestrian overlooks facing downriver to the west and started filming.  I was on the phone with Rory Conlan talking about agreeing on a "new" thirty day practice, so I took little notice.  On the way back, I did think it a bit odd to be filming to the west, and I decided to ask her what the jogging and the filming were all about.

She told me she was filming the sunrise (to the west mind you) over the Anacostia for a documentary film. I countered that I'd been considering setting up a camera to take a series of still photos to create a time lapse sequence, and she said that particular approach was on her list as well. She expressed some concern that she'd be able to find a spot where a camera wouldn't be bothered by other people, and I allowed that I shared similar reservations.

At the end of the conversation, I moseyed along, and as I walked away realized that I'd not given her my name and she'd not volunteered her own moniker. In retrospect, the civil approach would have been to introduce myself, and given a chance to have another go at that conversation I would have tried the introduction route.  I'm not sure it would have worked, but it would have been worth a try anyway.

This realization coupled with the recent conversation between Rory and I has solidified in my mind what form my next thirty day practice will take.  I'm going to introduce myself to a stranger every day for thirty days and see what falls out of that experience. I'm not sure where it will lead, if anywhere, but I'm amazed I have lived for over four decades and have never tried an experiment of this nature.

I'm looking forward to tomorrow and the new experiences that the new addition to my practice might add. I may even have to get a series of business cards printed up to aid in the introductions. I've got a number of professions to list, so it certainly wouldn't be boring. It might even be time to put that Newport, OR phone number to use.

Wrapping Up for the Weekend

I took a dog for a walk today.  It wasn't my dog, but at least the sunset was nice.

College Creek Sunset

It's been a longish summer, and I'm looking forward to the opportunity to downsize my life a little this fall. I hope that downsizing leads to more room for things like this to occur on a regular basis.

Panoramic View of the Same Sunset

I've grown weary of the rat race, and I suspect it's time to stop churning on it.  I know that whenever I do that now, things seem to have a way of working out for the best.

Looking forward to what tomorrow and the rest of the week might have in store.