Project 365 d-206

     Running very late this afternoon, and I had to hurry off to my daughter's softball game. My wife and family had already gone ahead of me, so I was left to make the trip alone. It was the kind of sunny day where white, cotton candy clouds dare you to worry as they float across a peaceful blue sky hoping to put your mind at ease. My mind wasn't at ease though and no blue sky nor any amount of chipper clouds plastered across it seemed able to put me at peace. In fact, I was downright annoyed with life as I hurried down the familiar road. It feels like I'm on a wild ride that I cannot get a break from. Every time I try to exit toward the comfort of stable ground it begins, churning, spinning, and tosses me back into my seat again. It is mostly of my own making I suppose. Somehow I have learned to allow "Stress Monkeys" to climb aboard my once straight posture while they cling to and poke me with their dirty, little worrisome fingers. They howl as they pound on my back and scream into my ear. Each one demanding that I examine their petitions over and over again until my stomach boils; and I feel like a giant is carrying me around with my head lodged between his thumb and forefinger.

      Something on the side of the road caught my eye, but by the time I could look it was already past me. Looking back out the through the window, I could see a rolling pasture full of lazy cows chewing on juicy grass. "That looks really peaceful", I said to myself as I pulled over and stopped. "Well you don't have a photo of the day yet", I thought. As I began to turn around and head back for a closer look at the pasture; I could hear the "Stress Monkeys" began to wail, and demand that I continue on. I had to go stand in front of those lazy cows because I suspected there was more than just a photograph to be gleaned from doing so. As soon as I stood parallel to them, it struck me at just how peaceful everything seemed, and I wanted to capture that feeling. Not necessarily for a daily photo, but also I needed to witness something simple. Through my viewfinder the grazers were just standing there content to be under that sky with a mouth full of green blades and firm ground under their hooves. While I wasn't envious of the content of their lunch; I did wish that I could be that content. As I snapped a photo it hit me. The  reason that I was now standing still at this very moment was because I had disobeyed the "Stress Monkeys" and decided to stop. "STOP", I shouted at the top of my lungs! "Scott just give yourself permission to stop and graze like these damn beasts do", I screamed into the air. I have forgotten how to relax. To disconnect, disengage, and disembark from the un-essentials in life, so that I can better connect, engage, and embark in the essentials of life. What I needed was to chew my cud under a crystal blue sky blanketed with cotton, candy clouds just like those barbeque bound bovines! For the moment, the "Stress Monkeys" were gone as now wielded my cud chewing talisman before them. Looking down at my watch as I drove on to the game; I knew I was going to be a little late, but also a little wiser.

Happy chewing.