David Cook, American Idol

Monday, Labor Day, after dinner, I was sitting on chair outside of my son’s house up north watching my three grandchildren jumping on a trampoline. It was the last day before school begins and they were creating little plays with their bouncing around. Last night I was in Green Bay with my wife at an American Idol concert. She is a fan of David Cook, the number one American Idol. Today I was once again out in my garden picking more beans and preparing the GP home model growing box in the sunroom. At the first activity, watching trampoline jumping, I found my head slowly clearing of distracting thoughts as my attention was drawn to the play of my grandchildren. At the second activity, the concert, I kept busy taking pictures and trying to understand the words with the loud pop music playing. Today I found myself fully focused on my gardening work.

In terms of refreshing activity I would have to say the first activity was like preparing to mediate or pray, cleaning my head of distractions. The second activity, watching the Idol concert, was like observing a well-organized distraction. As my wife said: “It keeps you from thinking of war, violence and all the terrible things happening in the world. The third activity, gardening I would describe as a Zen activity. I was just present to what I was doing; there was no letting go of distractions or viewing of distractions; it was just doing what I was doing. Taking time out to watch children play or to experience a music cultural phenomenon are okay. However, today I was ready to come home to the soil. I will take gardening over idoling any day.

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