Haibun: Un-Menued

 Recently I spent off grid time with my sister, her husband, and their 13 kids. Others were with us as well. 

The last day, there amongst his sisters like mothers, and with his mother as well, my 15 month old nephew was getting irritated and grouchy. With everything he put towards his mouth a choir of voices would chastise, “No Ozzy!” He’d start to go someplace and a sister would mother him back into the area of control. He was as trapped as an suburban man, caged in by sidewalks and parks with fine print rules enforced by the H.O.A. I knew I had to reset him.

Off into the trees we went. I asked him if he wanted to touch something, a tradition going back to when he was 6 months old and I’d trek off into the desert with him. He’d point and say, “touch it?” We’d go explore the leaf or bark or rock. He’d look up and point, “touch it?” And off we head towards the butterfly. After that, I let him walk around a little, continuing to learn how to walk on this new, uneven surface. He found an old log he could crawl on and conquer.

After 20 minutes I returned him, happy and reset.  He was a happy boy.

In our suburbs or cities, we face the same frustrating controls: every inch designed for a specific purpose, every space, every transaction, and just about every relationship under the tyranny of the predetermined menu options. Nothing there but someone else’s predetermined design and decision.

I found my way to a shaded wash that had no designs on me, I reset. I will soon need to wander off a trail again. You will need to as well. Our brains and souls need a break from our over designed adult lives.

the breeze as the song

the weeds sway along and now

fall starts to belong