Plenty

This morning, as I practiced my knitting, I listened to my younger sister's voice delivering a sermon based on a book called Breathing Under Water: Spirituality and the Twelve Steps, by Richard Rohr.
Lara started by stating that everyone is addicted to something--and not necessarily to drugs, alcohol, or gambling. Most of us are addicted to our way of thinking.

This sermon was especially relevant to me right now, as I've been examining my own habits and attitudes. For instance, I recently deactivated my Facebook account. Why? This may appear to be an unimportant step for someone who is not a public figure, who does not need to use social media as a tool. And yet...

Facebook employs this

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scroll...where I see articles and blogs that would be worthy of my attention, IF ONLY I could stop scrolling. And look! Squirrel!

Yesterday, when it was raining and raining, I sat by our front window and watched the squirrels.

WAIT. That's not what I was writing about. I hate it when I do that.

Okay, so while I'm scrolling past items worth reading and reading items that are stupid, I am also picking up on other people's opinions about issues before I have the chance to read anything about these issues.

There is also the annoying aspect of the nagging invitations to come buy Thirty-One, or LuLaRue, or sign this petition because if you don't you just don't care, or I can tell how many friends I have by who reads this, etc etc etc.

I'm already easily distracted, and also prone to anxiety, as are many people. I was shocked and dismayed to learn how many of my millennial coworkers have been on some type of medication since childhood. It seems to me that Facebook is exploiting habits that most of us need to curb.

My Facebook account is not permanently deleted yet--oh, no--that takes fourteen days. Yep, a two-week cooling off period. Actually, I believe Zuckerberg and his ilk think most people are too addicted to really leave. C'mon...you'll log in sometime this week...we got what you want...

To that, I say...

It's hard enough for me to meditate, to keep my mind from scrolling through all the little aches and pains, all the conversations, all the trivia in my mind...and look, I've messed up my seed stitch. It's okay, I'll get back on track...one row at a time.

Be here now, pay attention, be grateful, and do the job or task ahead of you, one day at a time.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving, week, everyone!

And now, I really should vacuum. It's the moral thing to do :)