Between jobs,
A change of location,
A change of vocation,
sometimes feels like the valley of the shadow of death.
If we think of our situations as permanent,
if we become overly attached to the “normal” they create around us,
then we die a small death when they come to an end.
As a musician, for instance, you get all wrapped up in a project,
identify with your involvement, and then it’s over.
Immediately, the small self, the ego, kicks in,
loading up that image of yourself
which will require much energy and effort
to perpetuate.
(the ego likes the prestige of the “normal”)
As an alternative to all that baggage carrying,
my son Emmett and I, regarded the spots between “gigs” as plateaus,
where we were free of our former responsibilities and attachments.
We saw them as a breathing space, an opportunity to re-acquaint
ourselves with the fundamentals of be-ing;
a time to look inward for a moment,
re-evaluate the ideas and habits we picked up along the way,
rethink our assumptions and move on.