Meditation in the Morning

It usually begins before dawn with small birds, like finches and chickadees, chirping and flitting about the mulch garden before the neighborhood and I are fully awake. I’ve labeled this my ‘quiet time.’

During the winter months, it’s that peaceful segue when the cloak of night gives way to the first glow of sunlight on the horizon. It’s during those silent minutes when the darkness dies and morning is born that I come alive.

It’s an hour or so each morning when I drag my fingers across the tablet to peruse, study, make a mental note of articles there, tidbits and other crumbs that just might fit someplace in that jumble of thoughts and ideas spilling into my brain. It’s priceless time to gather, collect, discard and refill that cauldron of ammunition with which to fire up my imagination.

This is often when I get my best ideas on a wide variety of interests. It’s a brief respite before the day becomes crowded, bumped, and distracted by life’s everyday distractions. Current writing projects are often still churning in the mixer of my mind. They twist and turn over dialogue, scenes, and a plethora of my story-telling vernacular ventures. Characters come alive and talk to me. Scenes come together whereas before they were clouded in doubt and confusion. New projects are constantly crowding out each other for my attention.

The ‘Debris Trilogy’ release was realized there one morning. I was anxious to find a way to get my books in front of an audience. Past efforts had failed and I was at a loss as to how to reach folks. Then I realized my blogs had been steadily growing to average of about 75 readers per week. So, I thought I’d create a folksy approach to tell folks how the idea for ‘Debris’the trilogy came about. Vida, my editor, using my text and photo ideas, created a mini website that brilliantly told the story and attracted readers at the same time.

Vida also came up with a very catchy series of press releases for ‘Waleed, the Skinny Hippo’ which I then messaged and managed to send to numerous outlets across the country.

It doesn’t hurt that perusing my tablet each morning has introduced me to a host of story ideas, song lyrics, possible venues, etc. It’s a morning ritual that’s been paying big dividends for years.

When I first started coming to Palm Springs, I used to haunt ‘third places’ around town in the early morning hours.

Those hovels of caffeine and sugar were a kaleidoscope of homeless skeletons, day laborers, non-sleepers, early morning husbands and loners like myself. Together, they were all the perfect place to blend in, take in the sights, sounds, and smells and let my imagination roam. In time, the safe haunts changed and I eventually retreated to my backyard and the comfort (defined: creativity) there.

Now, the practice continues here and there. Early morning is my special ‘window’ to a world of ideas full of ‘what ifs’ and ‘why not?’ For me, it’s the best place to be… year-round.