Friday Morning Zen
It's snowing hard today. My usual early morning routine was altered by my shoveling my neighbors walkway at 6AM. She's over 80 and has a doctors appointment later. Then I dutifully drove the thirteen miles to work.
There's something calming about driving in relatively light traffic in the snow. One must concentrate, sure, but when there's no sense to hurrying, the mind can relax and focus on the task at hand, namely getting myself and my vehicle across town in one piece. All distraction fades. It's almost like meditation.
It's the focusing that the mind likes. Scientists have measured endorphin levels in the brain during certain activities and found that moments of concentration will produce pleasure-related compounds. That would explain my preferences for activities like writing, playing music - even playing computer games - that force the mind to a singular activity or to a series of decisions. Then the brain relaxes into a state similar to meditative absorption.
I have time to blog while at work today because no one else made it in. Our office only has four people, anyway. Being a roofing company, we're virtually at a stand-still this time of year regardless of weather. I'm sure my roofer friends are snuggled nicely this morning as the storm front that crippled Washington State last weekend is blowing through the Windy City today.
Query to self: Why am I still here?