OOH LA LA! #30

Dinosaurs in the ocean; hot tshirts; licking spoons; dogs are Buddha

I’ve discovered a new form of meditation, which is watching nature shows before bed.
Right now I’m into OceanXplores from National Geographic. Unlike a sitcom or movie, nature documentaries have a slow, meditative pace that is both calming and inspiring.

This week I learned that Bowhead Whales in the Arctic can live up to 200 years! And Greenland Sharks can live up to 500 years! Can you imagine what stories they could tell?! What beauty they’ve witnessed in 500 years time and what great storms they’ve endured?!

For me, when I learn about the world like this, I remember that life is large and long and much bigger than my small corner of time. Scientists say the more they study the universe, the more they believe in mystery. With this perspective, I find it easier to exhale, to trust in the great unfolding of everything, and to remember that life keeps on going, keeps on thriving, keeps on finding a way.

There are giant-200 whale dinosaurs in the ocean and hundreds-years old trees in the forest, and dimensions of space we’ve never yet explored. This means too, there are parts of me that have yet to blossom, and new possibilities and paths to discover. What a wonder!

This week’s OOH LA LA! list includes: licking the cookie dough spoon, people on walks with their dogs, warm laundry.

Maybe it’s just me, but I think licking the cookie dough spoon is the whole point of making cookies. This is not some pre-game to the cookie party, it is the main event, the real star of the show. Sure, if your cookie dough contains eggs unlike mine, the risk might not be worth the reward, but even then you can’t deny that licking the cough dough spoon deserves its own dessert category. Mainly, I think the lesson is to enjoy the journey, you know? Why deny yourself pleasure in the process when you can have delicious chaos right now? This is the creative way.

I love seeing people on walks with their dogs. I was sitting in the park near the dog run area watching two women with two dogs each get tangled in the leashes as their dogs greeted one another. People who walk with their dogs are always getting into moments like this. I’ve noticed people who walk their dogs also walk slower than other walkers, and there’s something about seeing someone engaging in a slow activity that feels so lovely. I’ve been watching so many dog walkers that now I can spot a person on a walk with a dog, even before seeing the dog, because I notice the slow, rhythmic walk, the pauses, the meandering. I aspire to be more like that, like the person walking the dog, and the dog, fully present.

I currently have the luxury of living with a washer and dryer in my Brooklyn apartment (humble brag, I know). I don’t know how long I will be in this apartment. While I’m here I hope I never take for granted the delight of falling asleep to the sound of the washer whirring, or the gift of a last-minute load before work, or most especially, to the cozy comfort of warm laundry right out of the dryer. I’ll admit I’m rarely around in time to remove the dry clothes as soon as they are ready. I mostly just let them sit until they are room temperature and wrinkly, so it’s extra special when I’m nearby and can wrap my arms around the warm, clean clothes from the dryer to the chair where I hold my hot, soft t-shirt to my face before folding.

Thanks for reading!

I’d love to know - what is an OOH LA LA! something you experienced or observed this week?

Reply to this email with 1-3 sentences about your current obsessions, passions, joys, and pleasures, or anything else you love!

XOXO,

LJ

“May you awaken to the mystery of being here

And enter the quiet immensity of your own presence.”

-A blessing, by John O’Donohue