For today’s Spiritual Thursday post, Ramona suggested we listen to a podcast by Emily Freeman entitled The Next Right Thing. It’s a new-to-me podcast that I am now following. I listened this morning while walking and wrote my response by speaking into the Notes app on my phone.
Henri Nouwen writes in his book Here and Now, “We are inclined to think that when we are sad, we
Emily Freeman, The Next Right Thing Podcast
cannot be glad. But in the life of a God-centered person, sorrow and joy can exist together. That isn’t easy to understand. But when we think about some of our deepest life experiences, such as being present at the birth of a child or the death of a friend, great sorrow and great joy are often seen to be parts of the same experience.”
I am Here
My daughter gave me an Apple Watch.
It watches my every move and occasionally will vibrate my arm
and tell me something like you need to be moving
or you’ve reached your movement goal
or stand up now.
We have found devices in this modern world that help us to be present.
Present with our steps, each one counted and charted on an app on our phones
which we carry with us everywhere,
everywhere to be present with a friend on Instagram or Facebook.
Daily when I walk, I use an app called Voxer to chat with a friend across the globe in another place.
She calls this her daily podcast with me. Funny and true.
And I’m grateful for the technology that allows me to be present with a friend far away.
But sometimes all I need is to just be here–
Here stepping on fall leaves, listening to them crinkling,
listening to the sounds of birds
in the trees losing the leaves.
I’m just here with myself
And God.
Reflections on the Teche 
And, oh am I glad you like to vox with friends! What’s neat about your post is how well it illustrates the satisfaction and dissatisfaction (at least for me) of a digital world. I love the convenience…but feel hemmed in by it too. Sometimes, just walking along is exactly what’s needed. I have found that my prayer life has picked up since driving to work again. That time, alone in the car is just right to pray for me. And, sometimes, I vox!
I love that you collected your thoughts into a poem. And I need to learn how to speak into the Notes app. What a wonderful use of technology!
My “Here” page in my notebook continues to grow with the addition of your final six lines. Thanks for being here with us and sharing your thoughts.
Margaret, what truth you have unturned here. The technology is all good and helpful, but then we are reminded to be “Here stepping on fall leaves, listening to them crinkling,” and with the birds. Yes, indeed. When I move to my old new house, I look forward to this, and putting away my phone. Maybe I’ll even get a dumb phone again, instead of the smart distracting phone I have now.
I’m enjoying your words on a solitary morning here in Haiti. Thank you! Ruth, thereisnosuchthingasagodforsakentown.blogspot.com
I think autumn reminds us (as Freeman and Nouwen do) that joy and sorrow can exist simultaneously. It’s almost as if that is autumn’s job…fascinating observation about the watch and all its healthy reminders, plus the link it is to a treasured friendship. How this poem turns at the end, to the need to simply savor the crunching of leaves, the birdsong even in loss (leaves can be such a metaphor), and the presence of God. So beautiful. And so true.
What a wonderful observation. A simpler life seems so hard to attain, and yet… it often feels that that is all we need. Thank you for this nugget.
Margaret, I am going to have to try to write something via talking into my Notes app. That sounds like a great way to be present while walking without forgetting what you want you want to say. I am always trying to hang on to my thoughts but often this does not work.