I suppose having Julie's car stuck out in the drive would be, psychologically, my working world intruding inescapably though passively into my domestic one. I worked out long ago that, no matter how generous my living arrangements are (not by my choice), they have to be kept distinct from work and the disrupted people who come my way as a result of it, or I go a bit crazy. I know that it ought not really to be like this, and that a house full of anything from other people's stuff to Syrian refugees ought not to cause me that much of an issue. My need for peace in my surroundings is a reflection of the fact that I bring so much disruption into them myself. If I had internal peace I wouldn't need so much externally.
Kung Fu Panda is told he must cultivate inner peace. He looks thoughtful, and then says "inner piece of what?"
ReplyDeleteIt's easier said than done, isn't it - you make a very useful point. I guess you need a stable hinterland, as it were, so you can deal with it all out front. So I wonder how much that "ought" really matters, in balance with your vocation? To put it crudely, you could fill your house with junk and with suffering refugees, and watch your work fall apart...
None of my business of course, but as usual, you've got me thinking.