purple rain

(Photos: Janine Joles)

The phrase "the map is not the territory" by Alfred Korzybski, became a personal mantra of mine after I used it to introduce my final year Bachelor thesis, The Zen Process of Jasper Johns. Divinely stated, it constantly reminds me that life's an illusion - an enchanting play of light and shadow, day and night, truth and fantasy. 

Recently I've been meditating on reasons, and why we need them to make, validate, even breach our most important decisions. Are our reasons really our own, or are they tainted by the rhythm of those which our families, societies and peers have sung to us since day one? 

Unfortunately they all too often are. Sometimes when I must decide, the reasons of others play back like a familiar chorus from the recesses of my memory. But I've never been one to do something because 'it's the right thing'. In my opinion - there isn't a yard stick big enough to measure the right thing. The right thing to do, should be what's right for you. It's your life, your path, and you have to walk it. Best you enjoy the journey, the way you see it :)

the invitation

(Photos: Janine Joles)

Dear friends,
how are you? It's been far too long since I last wrote, and I'm deeply ashamed about it. Life's simply happening, and for me that's about all I'm capable of focusing on at the moment.

Our second trip to Italy was amazing by the way! As you might remember, my honey and I stayed in Riva Del Garda where we spent most of our time familiarizing ourselves with the local area we plan to live in. It's beautiful. Really, seriously beautiful. Sheer snow capped mountains rise from deep blue  waters, as endless trails crisscross the timeless landscape. Lake Garda is our opportunity to embrace the outdoors like never before. This magnificent paradise is our future, and it's promise of adventure our dream.

Thinking about it now makes me feel awfully nostalgic for a time that's yet to come. I wish that I could just fast forward, so that we would safely be there in that rosy place. Realistically speaking however, we'll only move to Italy once we sell our home here in South Africa and unfortunately these hard economic times don't care much for our plans, never mind our dreams. Some day soon the tide will turn, and we'll be there waiting, ready to launch our maiden voyage together...

As for life here, now, all goes well. I'm making tremendous progress with the Italian lessons and I'm proud to announce that I passed my second exam just yesterday! Learning to speak a foreign language is an enlightening experience. Through the process I've come to discover just how much we take for granted in our moment to moment, day to day lives.

One exercise teaches us to describe in Italian our typical day. Repeating over and over that I wake up early in the morning, brush my teeth, get dressed, eat breakfast, then start work, really sounded silly at first. Whereas I'm used to conducting more complex conversation, talking like this made me feel like a child again. That's the very beauty of it! Repeatedly describing my most basic daily routines, and the order in which I perform them, soon became a lesson in meditation which has caused me to see and appreciate my time in a whole new light.

Life is a series of events. A series of related, and sometimes unrelated, events. Actions precede other actions. Thoughts lead to new thoughts. For a moment today try to step outside this endless chain of events. Simply acknowledge, and thereby meditate on, the individual parts that form the whole. It's not easy as it takes repeated effort, repeated practice. I invite you to give it a try. Eventually it will become clear, as you learn to stop doing and start being. Trust me on this - it's a much deeper, richer and more rewarding experience...

With love.
Yours truly,
Jaine