Yesterday on the beach I was offered a vignette about silence, solitude and simplicity a la sea gull style. From the moment I threw my apple core, to the flying scramble for the prize, and then back to life as usual on the beach, took all of twenty seconds.
Let’s start with silence. Not a sound: then the throw and fifty gulls rise, squawk, and return to silence. Next, solitude. All fifty standing or wading independently in a group: then the throw and they are communicating. Finally, simplicity. They all knew what to do, which seemed pretty simple and usual from their perspective; then the throw, and all at once being the lone gull that grabs the apple seems like no simple task.
Please, there are no profound conclusions to be drawn from my simple little observations. It’s what I often do as a way to make sense of the silence, solitude and simplicity that I long for. Who knows who my teachers might be? Definitely the gulls.
Let’s start with silence. Not a sound: then the throw and fifty gulls rise, squawk, and return to silence. Next, solitude. All fifty standing or wading independently in a group: then the throw and they are communicating. Finally, simplicity. They all knew what to do, which seemed pretty simple and usual from their perspective; then the throw, and all at once being the lone gull that grabs the apple seems like no simple task.
Please, there are no profound conclusions to be drawn from my simple little observations. It’s what I often do as a way to make sense of the silence, solitude and simplicity that I long for. Who knows who my teachers might be? Definitely the gulls.