The Day when the Universe Watched Itself

Sittin' in the morning sun,

I'll be sittin' when the evening comes,

watching the ships roll in,

then I watch them roll away, yeah.

(Otis Redding, The Dock of the Bay)

"It was early dawn in late November. The birds had already come and gone for their early breakfast. The bored onlooker was lamenting the fact that without birds there was nothing really to watch when the first rays of the morning sunshine broke through the forest. Out of a sudden a spectacle was developing that was simply breath-taking. Little water drops hanging from a small tree in the middle of the garden, shining like pearls on a Christmas trees. They had been there all the time, it just took the special lighting of the early morning sun to become visible. The color formation was out of this world; a fusion of white and indigo, dancing as perfect complements to the purple-red of the few lingering autumn leaves on the tree. As he was lost in the magic of the moment, the birds returned to the scene, ready for their second breakfast, and ready to participate in the spectacle of lights." 

I recalled these precious moments after my son told me about the main character of a book that he was reading in school; someone who is simply sitting on a porch watching the world go by, day in day out. No tv, no computer; few friends to speak of, just sitting there being one with his environment. Yup, I had shared his passion of getting lost in the moment this very morning.

Meditation is the absence of thoughts, the floating in space, outside of time; half observer, half participant. Take a look around, there is a breath-taking moment ready to unwrap its magic just for you; a beautiful world at stand-by next to you, ready to dance with you as long as you manage to keep your agenda, your fears, your doubts and aspirations at bay. Why don't you try it yourself and do nothing today but "wasting time" by sitting on the dock of the bay.  Enjoy being the medium through which the Universe watches Itself.