nothing

it's hard doing nothing. i sat down a few nights ago when I was feeling somewhat overwhelmed and decided I needed to do nothing for a change. no email, no doodling, no noodling on the guitar, no reading, no watching some tv, just plain old nothing, lying on a couch and letting my thoughts go by.

it was hard. every five minutes i would think of something, and think i should get up and do that. i think i maybe lasted 45 minutes before i gave up.

the thing is my life is so full up that i could live a couple lives and never be finished, but maybe my brain needs a little downtime. my physical body sure as heck does.

then i was thinking ( as I was doing nothing no less -- so long as you consider thinking not an act, anyway ) maybe that's why i enjoy walking so much, because it is the one act where I'm not really doing much other than looking around and walking, and I don't have to actually try and walk. it just happens.

biking and driving have similar effects I think, and maybe that is why in the end they are so important to us. they allow for a time and a space that we don't ordinarily have. of course biking and driving you have mroe concerns -- ie other drivers. and following this thought to a possible conclusion, maybe that's why we are driven to such heights of anger when we are on the road -- our one chance a day ruined by other idiots.

naturally, i don't really think that is the complete answer, but maybe a small part of it at least.