My mornings start with coffee and the New York Times. Often, however, during these past two years I have promised to break this ritual as campaign stories and oval office horrors deplete creative energy. Not this morning. This morning the paper shook me awake.
I wasn’t expecting much as the holidays are here. And, like every other year, stories of joy are carefully balanced with stories of despair. A child saved from a Christmas Eve tree fire vs. starving children in Yemen, holiday lights along Fifth Avenue vs. a homeless man in Brooklyn. I knew I’d be greeted this way, and I knew that given the current problems in our country, there would be an excess number of stories about politics, celebrity sleaze, taxes and the environment that would likely tip the balance towards darkness.
Virginia Blue Crab
Still, while I was thinking it might be better to take to the deep sands like the local crabs, I dragged myself to the computer, coffee in hand, and began reading. And there it was, a truly inspiring piece by Sean Kelly. ‘Waking Up to the Gift of Aliveness.’ http://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/25/opinion/aliveness…
In this wonderful article, Kelly quotes a line he found in the margin of his lecture notes. He believes it was written by a professor he’d once had, the philosopher Hubert Dryfus.
“The goal of life, for Pascal, is not happiness, peace, or fulfillment, but aliveness.”
Yes, it resonates!
Kelly goes on to discuss different approaches or philosophies for the meaning of being alive. For some it is constantly seeking newness or spontaneity. For others, it is finding reason for routine. He then touches on his own feelings, the aliveness he experiences when teaching, when the connection between himself and his students is strong and passionate. For him, I believe, this is what it means to be alive.
For me, it is all about writing – the time that disappears when I am in the throes of stories presented by my characters, the wonder of finding the exact word or turn of phrase, the ability to have memories of different times and places that have existed only in my imagination, the feeling of accomplishment. This is the goal of my life – not just happiness, peace or fulfillment, but the ‘aliveness’ that encompasses all three.
Thank you, Sean Kelly, for the reminder. It was wonderful Waking Up to the Gift of ‘Aliveness.’
Happy Holidays.
The link worked and I loved reading your blog. What I love about you is that you are not afraid to be alive. Happy New Year.
Thank you.