A Second Childhood
Unlearning & Relearning
“Bring together the Eastern sage and the Western hero.”
Buddha Bowl, Hugh Holland 1977
Energetic Sanity
The ideal is something like vitality and composure. Focused strength and softened agitations. In essence, energetic sanity. The world needs more of it.
What’s crass and destructive comes from its opposite - internal disorder dressed as passion, which stirs immature zeal for all the wrong things.
Untitled (Roses), Cy Twombly 2008
Roses
I see a rose and name it. My mind files it away: “rose.” But before I call it a rose, can I see that it isn’t one? Can I see the sun, rain, earth, time - all of the non-rose elements woven into it?
Buddhism calls this interbeing - nothing exists alone. The chair I’m sitting on isn’t just a chair. The chair was once a tree, the tree was once soil, the soil was once fallen leaves. If I look deeply enough, the boundaries dissolve.
The moment I say “a rose is a rose,” I risk missing what it truly is. And if a rose isn’t just a rose, then what about me? I was once a child, once an idea, once a distant possibility in someone’s heart.
If I loosen my grip on fixed identity, something shifts. A problem isn’t just a problem - it’s a teacher. A past mistake isn’t a weight - it’s a seed of wisdom, a guide. A stranger isn’t just a stranger - they’re a missed connection, a future friend, another unfolding, just like me.
The world is fluid, but I freeze it with labels. I can try to see beyond them.
Untitled, from Stonehenge Portfolio, Paul Caponigro 1978
Fear
I’m not against fear. It has its place. It keeps us safe. But too often, we hand it the keys and let it drive. It’s better to see it as one passenger among many.
When I’m standing at the edge of something new, I can check in:
What’s here with me?
Anticipation, excitement, focus, confidence, joy. And yes - fear.
I don’t need to ignore it. I can just give it the space it deserves - no more, no less. It’s like laying stones for a wall. You find the right fit. Fear isn’t going to be the foundation, but it might be one of the smaller stones. You place it where it belongs and keep building forward.
Elsewhere, Alex Cretey Systermans 2014
Freeplay
No errands. No activities I think I “should” do. The goal is play: an art supply store, a botanical studio, a documentary marathon, a new small town. I don’t bring anybody. I keep it private and personal.
When I’m by myself, doing what I love, I play closer attention to my senses and my experiences. Ideas and inspiration arise more freely - as do the hunches and intuitions I need to know where to go next.
Itsukushima Shrine, 12th century Japan
An Ocean of Patience
What’s necessary for a contemplative life? According to Saint Francis:
"... a cup of understanding, a barrel of love, and an ocean of patience."
The first time I read this, it felt like a quaint prescription for a better life - quaint, but nothing earth-shattering. The more I sit with it, though, the more I see how it holds the map for a deeper kind of peace.
Understanding is where we begin, but love and patience are where we make our big investments. They turn the idea of the path into footprints that walk it.
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