Saturday, October 25, 2008

Check it in


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Originally uploaded by gr8wendini

Something about keeping up a blog—is that one must make time for it—like anything—friendships, reading or practicing yoga it is after all, a tool for checking in. I remember Dana Flynn (Laughing Lotus), one of my all time favorite Yoginis always said ”Don’t check it out, check it in” motioning with her hands pointing to herself.

So I’m sitting outside my front door of my little South Austin bungalow in the sun, drinking my black coffee and listening to Krishna Das as I check it in. There’s been a lot of re-evaluation since October has been the unofficial “Jew month” –holidays, New Year, life & relationship assessment etc.

It’s been exactly a year since I first visited Austin for Cheryl’s birthday and from that the Bali journey was hatched which in retrospect I know was the cosmic appetizer for moving to Austin. It’s Fall, my first not living in or being in New York—I miss the colors and smell of Autumn—that said it has cool in the morning (low 50’s) and at night—it does get nice and toasty during the day though. There are leaves changing and falling so I have the sense that yes, we have this season—not as marked as the Northeast. I found a pumpkin patch through with some flock of flamingos thrown in to “Keep it Weird” and whimsical.

I realize that I live in a bubble, one that I’ve blown surrounded by yoginis, filmmakers, artists and now Jews! I had a similar bubble in New York. I think we all choose our “bubbles” that comfortable place to bask and be protected in. The older I get the more aware of time I am and how I want to spend it and with whom—it’s good to be discriminating.

On the other side of the bubble is the real world –you know the news, the plunging stock market, the national (and personal) Debt, The general optimism for the Obama campaign here in the blue oasis of Austin and hopes for an election with no electronic data corruption.

I hear about it all on NPR. I’m addicted to public radio in order to expand out of the bubble. I just joined KUT, the NPR affiliate here, and it feels satisfying to have made my humble contribution. I received a button: “Carl Kassel is my Press Secretary”.