Commonplace

The commonplace is commonly ignored. I looked out my bathroom window yesterday. The electric cables, suspended high over the street below between telephone poles, were adorned with large droplets of rainwater. They were breaking the sunlight into brilliant, gleaming rainbows of color. Hundreds of diamonds on black wire. Stunning.

I am aware of my own tendency to ignore the daily givens of my life. Part of my practice is to appreciate what I have in the now of my life. This includes paying attention to the commonplace and its importance in my daily life. My practice of maintaining my home environment contributes to this  awareness. Washing a worn, 19th century wooden floor on my hands and knees is a practice that builds an awareness of the labor that goes into building a house and the beauty of the trees that provided the wood for my shelter.

Flashy screens with instant information dull our appreciation of the roots of our lives. The touch of a friendly hand and the prolonged stare of a true friend surpass anything a smart phone can deliver. Looking at the real world helps. Looking away from devices helps. The commonplace will teach you what your life really is and where you are in it.

Humanism is in part a realization that what is simply is. There is no super human who will make my actual life something else. I have found that paying attention to the commonplace is a good place to inspire creativity and to deepen my appreciation of life as it really is.