For me...? Thank you.

There are those rare times every so often when something happens and you feel like it is speaking to you. Like it was meant for your ears, or your eyes and the greatest part about it, is that you actually realized it! It’s like a fleeting tease, a moment that dares you to believe that that very thing was meant for you. I'm not really talking about sunsets or rainbows, but less grandiose things. Smaller, simpler things.

It’s not very often that it happens, and I doubt that I ever took the time to slow down and see it before. Often, getting too caught up in the busyness of the day and trying to rush from point A to point B. I made a decision a few months ago that I was not going to be a slave to my schedule anymore. Sure, I’m still going to get to work on time and to the daycare before it closes, but I decided that I could not live my life in the perpetual rush state that had become my reality. I put my foot down (I guess with myself) and said no more rushing.

It’s been nearly two months since I made this commitment to myself and I am feeling like life is a little bit kinder to me. Less demanding in some respects, though I didn’t change much. All I did was decide that I wasn’t going to race all over the place anymore because it was stressing me out! A little piece of me is reluctant to make New Years Resolutions or Lists of What I Should be Doing as these things usually fade by mid-February and can feel slightly hollow given that we all expect to fail at them before the ink is even dry. But here we are mid February and I am reaping the small rewards of a less rushed life. A small victory.

Which brings me to Dave, the “Dave and Morley Dave” of The Vinyl Café. The kids and I usually catch bits and pieces of it in the car on the weekends and I always love to hear the kids giggle when they listen. (A true sign my kids are growing up!) The story today was “Dave’s Letter.” As I listened to the story and the musical guests I felt like it was meant for me in some small sort of way. The people, the places, the music, the sentiment expressed by Dave at the end. All of these things seemed to represent something significant to me, something that I could identify with. It made me smile quietly to myself as I sat at the bar and drank my coffee listening to the familiar delivery of Stuart McLean.

This in itself was not a luxury I ever made time for before. My weekends up till recently were filled with driving to and from activities and generally playing catch up on laundry and meal preparations for the week. I felt pleased with myself for having made the time to sit and listen to a 45-minute favourite show of mine.

As the story unfolded and Dave pondered his list I thought about my own. How different would it be? What else would I add to my “do not rush list” to open myself up to all the possibilities of connection that await us? I like Dave’s list so I will share it below. And if you have 45 minutes to spare, give the podcast a listen, it’s a good one. I’m probably not the only one who feels like the Vinyl Café speaks to them personally.

Dave’s List
(as heard on the Vinyl Café by Stuart McLean Feb 20th, 2011)

Tell the truth
Ask for help
Don’t speak of others behind their back
Strive to forgive
Be generous
Be quiet
Read books
Eat your greens

Thank you Stuart...and to Dave.
I'm glad I made the time to listen. Your list already came in handy today, I will keep it close by as the rest of the year unfolds before me.

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