The Stillness of Drool

Whilst trying to relax on my porch tonight (I have to try, which is a problem right there), I observed a two-foot-long string of drool hanging down from my dog’s mouth as he stared blankly at something (or nothing?) out in the yard.  I watched the Labrador's cyclical drool cycle infinitely repeat itself: he would stare, salivate, allow gravity to snatch the saliva, and repeat.

A cool, quiet calm possessed my drooling canine and I silently marveled at him.  In that moment he existed outside of time and seemed so free.  He, unlike me, was able to sat still long enough for drool to formulate and dangle low enough until it snapped.  

100 lb. Quadroped: Master of Stillness

There I was, sitting impatiently trying to figure out ways I could relax (I’m really, really bad at taking the night off), while the dog – the master of stillness – just was.  

Sitting there watching him, I reflected upon a desire I had earlier in the day.  Somewhere around noon, I had been suddenly overcome by a compelling urge to go deep-sea fishing.  One of the problems with this plan, however, is that I don’t fish and I certainly never want to. My motive for doing so was not to actually fish, but to go with someone who wanted to fish so that I could be surrounded by an oceanic nothingness, to remove myself from all the noise of the world for a day. Problem number two: I thought the only way to experience peace was by surrounding myself with the idea of it. 

The smoke of my cigar slithered slowly into the air.  I watched the dog stare into the open space with a fearless abandon.  Just then I discovered that I never have to search for – or even move at all– in order to encounter the sort of peace that I craved from the ocean.  I realized that we are all free to practice stillness whenever we please. 

At any given moment, whether we're at a grocery store or a sandy beach, we can shut our egos down and allow ourselves to inhabit the stillness of the moment.  We can simplify and listen, because so much inside ourselves is worth listening to. 

This one doesn't even stress about long drives

Sometimes I try to forget who I am – I.E. my ego, filled with the identity culture has given me: my name, title, etc. and instead focus on what I am – a being interconnected to all other lifeforms on earth.  That, coupled by a fierce concentration on my breathing, always helps slip me into “the now.” When ideology and culture flee for a moment, I am nothing more than a creature who contributes to the energy of life on earth.  I am free. 

This kind of thought (or absence of thought) is stillness.  This is inhabiting the now.  While we search for ways to ease our stress or distract ourselves from our chaotic lifestyles for a time, we must remember that man-made entertainment is no match for our God-given inner tranquility.  We must simplify, let everything melt away, and slow ourselves down to practice stillness wherever we are.

Nothin like a bit of drool to insight some contemplative thought, right?