Monday, June 29, 2009

Simplifying leads blogger to re-enchantment

Quotes from Thomas Moore's The Re-Enchantment of Everyday Life book-end today's post, "Enchanted Living" on The Accidental Traveler. Kate McDonald writes,
"At the point when I first encountered the book, it was a breath of fresh air to me as a person who had a hard time getting still. In devouring it, I discovered the depth of my busyness. I felt convicted by [Moore's] take on food and friendship and nature... all things to be savored that had gotten buried under lists and lists of tasks.

Now, in re-reading portions of the book, I find he’s given words to the longings I feel gaining strength each new day.

I always wondered why adults complained about not having enough hours in the day and now I know. Regretfully, I know.

I dream of gardening and reading on the front porch and waking up naturally instead of to the annoying alarm on my phone. When I think about simplifying life and cutting down on the things I own, I just feel this rousing of my soul.

And I don’t want to ignore it."
McDonald describes comforting her son during his fever. She includes, "I feel compelled to simplify my life... not to just wave the white flag of surrender to the American pace of life and hope for the best, but to listen to the cry of my soul... and to begin to discipline my life in a way that affords my soul less activity and more life."

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