Embracing the Mundane

Driving through the majestic Rocky Mountains watching the teal green lakes blurr by and keeping track of the sparse cloud formations, adjusting and re-adjusting the air aaaconditioning because it’s hot and sunny out there…a truly glorious day that I get to enjoy from at the comfort of the passenger seat as I doze in and out of consciousness. When fully awake, I enjoy the music stylings of Michael Buble, Frank, Ella, Diana Krall, Melody Gardot and Kenny Gee. I read a book, look at magazines on my iPad and discuss current events and issues with Mike as Andrew dozes in the back with his earphones on.

Cruising across the azure blue water water in the intense heat and sun, zipping past all the other water taxis, leaving a wake behind us. We approach Granville island with all its shops, entertainment, every kind of food imaginable and flowers from heaven. And the marina….I want to just store a boat at the marina and live on it. My brother takes us onto the pier to show us the sailboat he is taking out the next day. After securing a snack of fish and chips we sit down to listen to the live music concert. A Frenchman playing the guitar and serenading us in his native tongue. It would have been so much more enjoyable had he not stopped singing and playing everytime someone produced a camera phone.

We followed this up with a visit to the shores of White Rock for the Canada day fireworks. A beautiful evening enhanced by mini lights and stars and throngs of people with a common purpose. It was magical. The following day we drove back to Calgary involving another exquisite day in the mountains.

At the beginning of May my sisters, my mom and my daughter and I all met up in Las Vegas for my moms 85th birthday. We had an amazing, fun and memorable week basking in the sun by the pool, eating out, going to shows, shopping, laughing…. I can’t remember having so inch fun in a very long time. This was followed up by Mothers Day, my birthday, Mikes birthday and Fathers Day. Celebrations all. My birthday was especially special since I was celebrating 60. Who knew 60 involved pink limosines? Life certainly is not boring.

I’ve had friends in for coffee and dinner and gone out and met friends at favorite venues in the city. I’ve seen most of the movies I want to see as we go almost every week. The stampede is now on in our western city and we attended the chinook pancake breakfast this morning. Then we came home and Mike took off to golf for the day and Lexie was in Banff setting up a wedding. Andrew was doing his own thing in the man cave which left me at loose ends. I just had this hankering to go do something exciting, as always. But I’ve run out of exciting. Maybe I’ve become addicted to exciting. Maybe this is a result of being unemployed?

It’s not like I have nothing to do at home. I need to bake for a friends birthday. I need to help Andrew unpack his belongings that we crated home last weekend. I need to write, read and journal. I need to clean my house before the city arrives to condemn it. I’ve got sewing to do and projects to make and social media intracies to learn, meals to prepare. I also happen to live in a beautiful well decorated home surrounded by a plethora of beautiful things. There is always purging and organizing to do which can be very satisfying and dare I say? exciting?

So I force myself to stay at home and engage in domestic duties, work on hobbies or just sit out on the deck and help Andrew make decisions. Life can’t be exciting every moment, every day or even every week. Much of life IS mundane. Mundane suggests there are no crisis’ going on, at least nothing that can’t be fixed or worked on. Stress is not an adjective of mundane. The definition of mundane is lacking excitement or dull.

Then it occurs to me that there are women that would find being in my home exciting. They would view my life as exciting for the most part and they would be correct. There is so much to do and see to stimulate the mind over here. They would view my lifestyle and opportunities as exciting. I overlook how blessed I am and start to feel restless and discontented instead. There’s nothing wrong with just being at home and minding my own business. Home sweet home as the saying goes. A steady diet of excitement wouldn’t be the answer either. Everything in moderation.

A person needs time to relax and let their hair down. At time to quiet their spirit and focus their mind to solve problems or not think at all. At time to change into your lounging rags and not care what you look like. Be ultimately comfortable. A person needs to turn off the world and formulate philosophies, belief systems, contingency plans. A time to pray and a time to listen for answers. A time to read and a time to study. A time for privacy. There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under the sun.

So I’m going to try to embrace mundane and see if I can’t find the excitement i crave in the mundane things of life. It’s all a matter of perspective anyway.

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