somewhere alone

Daily writing prompt
If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?

I love where I live now. It is more than a house; it is a “home for a solitary”. To be honest, I am thinking of moving. Maybe it is simply my state of mind at the moment? I am disappointed in people. I can only change “me” so. I need to lower my expectations. That does not change the darkness within at the moment. Being a nobody with no history and no story would be magic. So the option is moving to somewhere to be alone.

But it must be Merton’s hermitage if I could live somewhere else. In pictures, it looks so idyllic. It has a chapel, an altar, a stove, and an open fireplace. So that is where I would live if I could.

alone

Daily writing prompt
What part of your routine do you always try to skip if you can?

As an enclosed solitary, I live alone to not skip any part of my routine. The space it gives me, the solitude and silence, is the freedom to be present in the moment to Jesus. The routine is to return – to return to Jesus in the now.

The life I lived before was all about skipping that moment of return. It was about other people, and, as I have realised, it was spent chasing other people’s affection.

But, on a purely practical level, I try to skip housework!

pray harder

Daily writing prompt
What podcasts are you listening to?

So, I am not a huge consumer of podcasts. I was in the past.

I recently listened to The Secrets We Keep: Pray Harder. I like cults, and this one is local. The podcast was somewhat one-sided and a little simplistic, but I really enjoyed it. I cannot expect all podcasts to be a theological exploration within a wider historical context. One thing that always interests me is the assumption of intent on the part of the leader. Anyway, interesting.

Also, as I have your attention, I am doing a podcast. (And, to be honest, doesn’t everyone.) I have a trailer for Season 1 in the feed. I am hoping to record on a Friday. Just random stuff!

religion?

Daily writing prompt
What was your favorite subject in school?

The great thing about subjects at school is that they can be held at arm’s length. I can study and collect all the knowledge but not emotionally engage with it—a little like Mary’s Room.

At the end of my schooling, it was mathematics. I was hoping to be a math teacher. I even started a university degree. But that did not happen.

When I was just starting, my reports say I was very good at religion. (My mother reminded me on Sunday.) I am not sure what that means. Later, I found other things to “excite” me. Somehow, my life has come full circle.

I should add that I am “good” (relatively) at religion, theology, and philosophy. That does not mean I have it all together or am perfect. I am working on the lived experience every day.

silence

Daily writing prompt
What’s something you believe everyone should know.

To sit in silence without needing outside stimulation or other people. It can be for 10 minutes or five during the day. Sit outside and enjoy the sun, or just listen to the rain. Without a goal, a product, or an end, simply sit in silence and be “me.”

online food shopping

What could you try for the first time?

I could try online grocery shopping—and I did yesterday! So, I do not need to leave The Anchorage (enclosure) at all this week. I have used an online store for books, but this is my first food order.

This week, I am aiming for solitude and silence—a new year, a new start. Perhaps that is what I am really trying for the first time: be a recluse without excuses.