Crossing The Threshold

Does anything feel better than crossing the threshold of your home after a day at work? It doesn't matter if the day was good or bad. It is extremely rare for me to have a truly bad day. Good or bad, work is work, and it is a good feeling to finish one's daily work and to begin the rest one has earned. I love it when I am finally home, changed into my evening clothes, and sitting in my favorite chair. I breathe a sigh of relief as I silently voice a prayer of thanksgiving for my employment, what was most likely a good day, and for a comfortable and safe home. Within my home I love my little Fortress of Solitude where I sit with my coffee, read my books, listen to my music, and occasionally communicate with friends and strangers through this blog, my emails, or on Facebook. A well deserved rest is one of life's little joys and it is the little joys and simple things for which I am most grateful..

One of the simple joys I continue to enjoy is my small dose of quiet time before leaving for work each day. During this time I savor my first taste of freshly brewed coffee and a slice of wisdom from whatever book I am reading. I've been struggling a little with reading. A couple of new books I was attempting just weren't turning me on. On top of this any reading is difficult for me in the evenings when fatigue often takes over my brain and body. Sometimes when I struggle with reading I will return to an old favorite that I can count on. One source of wisdom and joy is the books of Thomas Merton. There is one very nice collection containing selections of my personal favorites from Merton called "Thomas Merton: Spiritual Master". It's probably the first book I would recommend to someone as an introduction to Merton's writing and thought. Here's a sample of something I read yesterday morning. This particular quote is from "Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander".

Gabriel Marcel says that the artist who labors to produce effects for which he is well known is unfaithful to himself. This may seem obvious enough when it is badly stated but how differently we act. We are all too ready to believe that the self we have created out of our more or less inauthentic efforts to be real in the eyes of others is a "real self". We even take it for our identity. Fidelity to such a non identity is of course infidelity to our real person which is hidden in mystery. Who will you find that has enough faith and self respect to attend to this mystery and to begin by accepting himself as unknown? God help the man who thinks he knows all about himself.

This blog is just one thing I do to unravel the mystery of who I am. I have an image of myself, some of you have an image of who you think I am, and somewhere in the mix is who I really am. All I know for sure is that I am a simple man who loves crossing the threshold of his home each evening to enjoy the simple comforts of his favorite chair, a good book, delightful music, and maybe some fresh coffee. On top of all this, a nap is added gravy.