Slowing down

Education for the Future | Personal Journal & Field Experience | Oct 2, 2008 | 2 hours field work

Magic happens when I slow down. I see things I had never seen before. I hear sounds unknown to my chattering mind. I smell the earth, taste the air and feel myself. It is an incredible experience. Like no other. And, what is most magical about it, is that in the moments of slowing down, 'I' don't exist. My being is present but 'I' don't exist.

The almost-16-months-old fellow and I did two long walks this week. On our first walk, we went to our secret spot. We waited for the ducks and then we did something different. We threw rocks into the water. As each rock touched the water, we looked for the ripples. The started, they grew, they faded and we just stayed there watching them. When we could barely see the last ripple, we threw another rock in. Again, we looked for the ripples. And, so it went on. He was completely still and so was I. I could hear him breathe, see the sunlight in the water and feel our hearts beating together.

Then, this morning we walked in the ravine of Ravenna Park, next to a bubbling stream. We stood on a little bridge watching the water flow. After a little while, we saw leaves fall into the water. We followed each leaf as it got carried by the current. Then, we dropped some of the fallen leaves into the water. One leaf at a time, watching it until we could see it no more. One leaf after another. So it went. I could feel the gaze of the little one go from where it dropped the leaf to the horizon where it disappeared. We were there, together, seeing it, feeling, being still.

Slowing down is all that is needed so the 'I' can slow down to the point of not existing …