December 3, 2002

Chasing Pigeons In Siena -- And Appreciating Small Moments

When you are 18 months old, it seems there are two kinds of activities --
those you do everyday, and those you do once-in-awhile.

Daily does not mean mundane. This morning, Max's daily breakfast turned
into a yogurt facial with much squealing. Daily activities create the rhythm,
not just a steady beat, but a dynamic punctuated pulse of life.

Then the once-in-awhile moments come along and form a dramatic
counterpoint of surprise. Take the unadulterated joy of chasing pigeons
across Il Campo in Siena. A wide semicircle of aged brick, a fountain to the
uphill, a fortress below.

And pigeons swooping, gliding, preening, and cooing -- just waiting to be chased.

Max is a confident walker, he runs EVERYWHERE, a nonstop
billiard-ball-bouncer, gleeful in his energy. He is also still a toddler, and
uneven surfaces make him walk a bit like a drunken sailor. And, it is the
rainy season, so Max is wearing boots (along with his orange-striped
sweater and snappy Italian cap). [A picture is on the web site, http://www.6seconds.org ]

So, here is Max, careening around Il Campo, the pigeons walking away 'till
they launch, then swoop low to the ground to find a quiet spot, orange
stripes flying along like a barely-controlled fall.

On the one hand, this is a delightful picture, on the other, I am extremely
anxious -- awaiting the moment when he tumbles to the hard bricks. Of
course he did finally fall down, ironically, he was not running; he was
standing still and turned around when his sister called him.

Life is like that -- Without mishap, you can careen across uneven bricks
amid swooping pigeons. Then, you get fouled up in one of those everyday
activities such as turning around.

For myself, I wonder how often I am willing to let myself go careening?
Intellectually, I know that my greatest capacity is unlocked by a certain
reckless abandon. Full engagement, risk, new challenge. On the other hand,
as I continue to grow up, I find myself increasingly cautious.

I also find it challenging to revel in the everyday. Max is a fabulous teacher
-- he has such delight in the moments. Sometimes I call him a "giggle-bot"
because he is so full of laughter and fun. What would happen if we could all
celebrate the small moments a little more?

As we're in the midst of the holidays -- the celebrations of light and the
turning of year, of sacrifice and redemption, of community and connection
-- maybe it is a perfect time to share some small pleasures. To laugh at
nothing, to smile at the way a leaf falls, to pause and enjoy a child chasing
pigeons in the park.

With love,
- Josh

Joshua Freedman
Six Seconds EQ Network

PS. Five items of note!!

1. The new EQ Cartoon is on the site -- http://www.6seconds.org
Check it out, and let me know how you like it! You can vote
right on the site, or comment! I laughed out loud.

2. The February Certification training is coming up fast --
http://www.6seconds.org/training . We are also planning one
in the New York area for the end of April. February is the last course
at the old price.

3. I updated the http://NexusEQ.com site w. more speakers for the
May 28-30 conference. You DO NOT want to miss this event!!

4. If you know anyone interested in "troubled teen" issues, please
send them to http://cedu2.com/center -- we just created three
"free quiz" assessments -- addiction, depression, & school failure.

5. HELP PLEASE -- I would like to see the subscription base for these
articles increase. Would you please tell 3 friends about EQ Reflections?

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Please forward & share so long as you keep this part:
This is an EQ Reflection from http://www.6seconds.org
©2002, Joshua Freedman
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