Bron-Yr-Aur

(c)  2012 Shawn Sarazin

We live in a connected world. We are always reachable on our smart phones via SMS or Facebook messages or other chat tools, not to mention the email.  We have iPads, laptops, all of which also provide the ability to communicate with each other.  Our High Def TVs get 300 channels of video programming and thousands of on-demand movies to pump pictures and audio into our heads.  While I write this on my laptop, Girlkid is using the iPad and we have seven idle Internet-connected devices in the house. 

I drive about an hour to and then from work, during which time I'm listening to talk radio or music or satellite news; I'd rather listen to any of that than the road noise.  At work, I have people talking around me, meetings to attend, noise from doors opening or closing, as well as all my work to do.  At home, the dryer buzzes, the dishwasher hums, the AC vents move air. 

Aside from the auditory noise, there is so much other noise going on: the laundry to wash, dry, fold, and put away; the lawn to mow;  the kitchen to clean; the bills to pay.  I usually have some other work to do at the end of the day as well.

It's hard with all this to find time to really relax.  To stop the world, and just do nothing.  I've struggled with this at times, even when I have the chance.  I feel I could be doing something: wash a load of clothes or cook something. Go somewhere.   I was dared last winter to spend an entire day just watching TV or reading. No laundry, no cooking a big meal. I found it could be done: just sitting and doing nothing.

About 10 days ago, I had the opportunity to  step away from the hustle of the world with some friends at their lake property. There was time to play and swim, and some clean up tasks to do, but there was a lot of time for me to just sit and read, to talk with my friends and laugh with their kids.  After a remarkable sunset ,  the sky opened for us, revealing thousands of stars, and we listened to the pop and hiss of the wet wood on the fire. 

Sunset at Ross Lake
(c)  2012 Shawn Sarazin

 Since it can be hard to find time during the weekday to calm down and relax, we have to make our time to relax.  Schedule or block off time on your work calendar to step out of the office to go for a walk, or go to a park to sit and watch waves move across a lake.  I have loaded some books on my iPad, and can take a few minutes to read from a mystery.  Even the momentary distraction of not focusing on a spreadsheet to play a couple moves of Words With Friends can be calming.  I can also pipe in some stress-free music, and even a great rock band like Led Zeppelin can fulfill the need there.  The shortest tune in the Zeppelin catalog is titled "Bron-Yr-Aur," named after a cottage in Wales that the band retreated to after the tour following their second album.  It's a short, peaceful guitar instrumental, which I think reflects on what they found there: Solitude, peace, and music.  

Since all things Zeppelin are pretty delightful to me, imagine my joy this winter when in an antique store in St. Paul I spied a candle, with simple bold letters on the wrapping that read "Bron-Yr-Aur."  It was purchased for me to enjoy. A light lemon scent. I haven't burned it yet. I will soon, and while it's aroma fills the air, this song will play.