What have I discovered during these months of shelter-in-place? It may seem like a strange question, but never before in my adult life have I had the opportunity to slow down my pace for four months straight and look spiritually at my life. That always takes on a physical aspect.
My physical life often run parallel with my spiritual life. A deep cleaning and cleansing in my spirit coincides with actual activity in the physical realm.
During the March, April and May, I worked feverishly on finishing my new book project and getting it published then, I promoted it like crazy. The coronavirus pandemic raged in the world—death and disease the focus. I needed to focus on life, my life during this crazy time.
June gave me the opportunity to attack on item on my “To Do List” that had haunted me for nine years—cleaning out a storage shed.
Nine years ago, in November, Lin and I married and we had the daunting task of combining two households. Lin’s solution: he bought a storage shed and I put a lot of my stuff in there.
About five years ago, I tried to start the sizable job of going through it. I got bit by a spider the first day and had quite an ordeal, so I stayed away from it for a couple years.
Another year, I went through my teaching library and gave that away, and last year, I had a niece becoming a teacher, so I gathered up more, but the Flippo biography monopolized my time.
Monday of this week, I started on that dreaded task and have worked off-and-on all week and am nearing the end. Lin already took one load to Goodwill, and he ended up taking another!
What a time I’ve had looking at my life! I’ve had a couple serendipities that have blessed my heart!
Here’s the poem I wrote about this experience:
I Found More of My Life!
June 17, 2020
Nine years ago,
My life went into storage
Precious artifacts
Of fifty plus years!
Not enough room
In my new home.
I moved into
Lin’s house
When we married.
Not enough space
Many of my things relegated
Outside
Out-of-view
Insignificant
Nine years
My soul pined for me
For familiarity
For my things
Consciously, I did not
We were happy
Surrounded by Kathi’s things (Lin’s deceased wife)
Lin’s things
And a parcel of mine
I squelched the soft pleas
The gentle clamors
My De Grazia collection of paintings
My blue ceramic miniature Nativity set
My chicken dance hat
I ignored me
Once again
Time ticked away
Once, I tried
About five years ago
But I got bit by a spider
So I stopped
Listening
Caring
So disconnected
Then last year,
I started again
With my teaching supplies
Books
To give to Cheryl, my niece
Not to reclaim my life!
This week
I retrieved my life
I threw out garbage
I recycled treasures
Not needed
I laid hands on
Precious treasures forgotten!
Not forgotten
Detached
Dissociated
Dislodged
I rescued more
Of me!
During the cleaning process, I organized over 150 “Morning Pages” into four boxes. In 1994 I started this practice, suggested by Julia Cameron in her book, The Artist Way. The suggestion is to write 3 pages everyday on whatever you want. I’ve been faithful in the practice. I’m currently on notebook #157, but my organization of these notebooks was helter-skelter until now! I love the line-up of boxes! You can see on the last two boxes I had to fix the information! In my organization process, I couldn’t find the 80s and a couple others. On the day I was finishing up, I found the box hid on the bottom shelf in the corner, so I had to renumber the last two boxes! It felt good to solve a mystery!
Another serendipity I will note. I discovered the rest of the blue ceramic Nativity set I bought in Mexico years ago. Recently when I was dusting the living room, I saw Mary, the Madonna, but where was the rest of it? In one of the boxes, I found it and answered this strange question. Why was Mary in the house and not the rest of the set? I feel a short story brewing there, yet another mystery solved!
Whew!! I discovered old treasures. I threw out stacks of papers kept for years. I recycled select times. I organized, organized, organized! I think it’s a spiritual experience cleaning out the old yet celebrating it all in a new way!
How about you? Is cleaning a time of discovery for you, too? If so, how?
~DO YOU WANT AN PERSONALLY AUTOGRAPHED COPY OF THE FLIPPO BIOGRAPHY? It’s available NOW! I received the paperback shipment, bu I am experiencing a delay from the publishers on the hardback copies—sorry about that! Go to my website and pay for it there: https://www.laradasbooks.com
ALL FOUR E-BOOK FORMATS OF FLIPPO’S BIOGRAPHY AVAILABLE NOW. Apple Books (US) – https://books.apple.com/us/book/just-another-square-dance-caller/id151164203 Kobo (US) – https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/just-another-square-dance-caller Apple Books (CA) – https://books.apple.com/ca/book/just-another-square-dance-caller/id1511642036 Apple Books (UK) – https://books.apple.com/gb/book/just-another-square-dance-caller/id1511642036 Apple Books (AU) – https://books.apple.com/au/book/just-another-square-dance-caller/id1511642036 Amazon Kindle (US) – https://www.amazon.com/Just-Another-Square-Dance-Caller-ebook/dp/B088QS9RH8 Amazon Kindle (UK) – https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B088QS9RH8 Amazon Kindle (CA) – https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B088QS9RH8 Barnes and Noble Nook (US) https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/just%20another%20square%20dance%20caller
~ RELEASE PARTY of Flippo’s biography streamed on Facebook Live — TBA! Be ready! Door Prizes, the inside story, Flippo song bytes & interview clips and more!
~Visit my web site for all the information you need about me and my books: https://www.laradasbooks.com
~Whitey & Gladys Puerling, playful friends of Flippo’s, created a Fan Club. I thought it would be fun to recreate this group. Would you like to join the Marshall Flippo Fan Club Facebook page? Read interesting posts about Flippo’s life. https://www.facebook.com/groups/328325644382769/