So, I spent an hour meditating Thursday morning and came out of that experience in a bit of an altered state. It’s amazing how many of us are frightened by the awe of our own presence. Meister Eckhart said there’s nothing in the universe that resembles God as much as silence.
I felt a little buzzed just as Brian, an MEA alum came over for an hour of poolside conversation, as a light wind alchemized with a riot of sunlight that caressed my face. Why don’t I spend more time just staring at our glorious ranch landscape? The clouds are the ocean here in Santa Fe and my friend Richard Rohr says that one of his favorite hobbies as he’s aged is just gazing, sometimes for hours at a time, at the beauty laid out before him.
That afternoon, I drove to Albuquerque to the only Apple Store in New Mexico and left my laptop with techie day care as they said it would take 3-5 days to fix. What the hell am I going to do without a laptop for a few days?! After feeling blessed early in the day, I started feeling stressed.
So, I did what I always do when I want to reward myself with a more interesting drive from ABQ to the ranch. I drove the Turquoise Trail and marveled at the landscape as well as the eclectic villages along the way, especially the mining town turned artist refuge, Madrid. And, then, I turned off highway 14 at Cerrillos, my favorite funky town in New Mexico. I went to the Thursday tiny farmer’s market at Cerrillos Station with a couple dozen locals – from teens to elders – all looking like they were straight out of a Fellini film or recent refugees from Burning Man. They have the most delectable produce and crafts (I bought a few remarkable chocolate truffles) and some down home music.
Then, I sauntered over to the Black Bird Saloon, a place I’ve written about before, that is part Wild Wild West bar, part foodie mecca, and part artist collective turned community cafe. I had a Malpais Stout beer (a local fav) and a Crow Jane salad, a sweet and tangy marinated and grilled Wagyu flatiron steak over greens with Stilton blue cheese and wine vinaigrette. Patrick and his team said they were so busy that it would take an hour for the meal to come up, which gave me the opportunity to read a book I’d just received, John O’Donohue’s “Walking in Wonder: Eternal Wisdom for a Modern World.”
He writes about the fact that familiarity becomes habitual and limits the potential of our long-term friendships. He quotes writer Gabriel Garcia Márquez in talking about his wife of forty years, “I know her so well now, that I haven’t the slightest idea who she is.” I wondered how many of my friendships are caught in that place. One of John O’Donohue’s best questions that we all should consider is, “When was your last great conversation with someone? The moment that two questioning minds and hearts meet in really great conversation, a portal opens into an immensely exciting possibility.” How do we find the time to explore a well-sculpted question with the natural unfolding of a flowing, winding river? I spent a half-hour in the Saloon talking with a neighbor who I’d never met and had a more engrossing conversation than I typically have with my family. It was as deep and rich as my stout beer.
Stressed or blessed? I’ve learned that losing a laptop can gain you a life.
-Chip
P.S. This new Conde Nast Traveler article on 10 Bucket List Trips You Should Take in Your Lifetime has at the top of the list the colorful, annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta Oct 5-13. It’s quite a visual experience and highly recommended. C’mon to our Santa Fe ranch campus for the Reboot: Leadership and the Art of Growing Up workshop with me and famed executive coach Jerry Colonna Sept 29-Oct 4 and stay for the start of the fiesta (our workshop will likely sell out in the next week, so act soon).