Ruhe is the German word for rest.

Rest has been a challenging and intriguing idea coloring my life the last few years.

I say idea because I'm not entirely sure how to describe it. It hasn't been a focus because I've lost it too often. It hasn't been a theme because I've deviated so much. It hasn't been a passion, practice, or soapbox so I'm sticking with idea, and just so we're clear I think it's a good one.

If you asked me, I might even say I value rest. I often think of its benefits and am quick to suggest it to friends, many times like a panacea. However, I personally don't really rest that often. Not significant, restorative time away for perspective and preparation. Of course I do have periods of inactivity but they're more aptly described as worrying, procrastinating, or lacking intentionality.

Recently I've been reminded that what you believe and what you value are reflected more accurately in your actions than your words. My actions tell me I don't really value rest. Doing, achieving, and the perception of usefulness attained by being busy are more likely my values. Rest is good but there are too many things on my list, too many situations I could use to prove my usefulness.

I recently spent a busy weekend in Cologne helping friends with an event called Ruhe. The idea: weaving video, poetry, interactive installations, silence, and stillness together; creating space for people to explore and experience rest in the midst of their everyday, hectic pace of life.

The contrast, between my schedule and the event's tranquility, was a striking reminder.

I often don't value what I see value in.

A few pictures from Ruhe:

               

Click here to download:

Ruhe_tag_Germany.zip (211 KB)

I just made another blog migration, from self-hosted WordPress to self-hosted Posterous. I was admittedly over my head with WordPress, which for the most part was easy but I took too much time with design and also ran into a few time consuming problems I couldn't handle. So, on to Posterous which will hopefully be my last stop for a while.

All the old posts from the last few years are here, in chronological order, but the tags didn't import so searching for posts older than a few months would be difficult. When I find the time between applying for German residency, language school, work, and community stuff I'll try to remedy that :-)

That being said, enjoy looking around, subscribe again, and let me know what you think.

Oh and check out this cool video.

Peace,

Tyler

“Success is what we do with our failures. Somewhere in all this misery, Lord, you have a lesson for us. We do not learn it if we simply circle the wagons and defend the way we have always been.” (http://sacredspace.ie) via Chris Kamalski

It’s like in the great stories.  The ones that really mattered.  Full of darkness and danger they are.  And sometimes you didn’t want to know the end because how could the end be happy?  How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened?  But in the end, it’s only a passing thing, this shadow.  Even darkness must pass.  A new day will come.  And when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer. Those were the stories that stayed with you.  That meant something.  Even if you were too small to understand why.  But I think, I do understand.  I know now.  Folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back only they didn’t. They kept going because they were holding on to something. That’s there’s some good in this world. And it’s worth fighting for.

All men dream; but not equally.  Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds awake to find that it was vanity; But the dreamers of day are dangerous men, For they may act their dreams with open eyes to make it possible. -- T.E. Lawrence

Tonight is one I will not soon forget.  I walked through dark fields with dangerous men, dreamers of day who are learning to act the dreams placed in their hearts.  I have few words to describe the experience, none that will do it justice, and yet I may try all night to write them anyway.

Life is a funny thing, in that what you expected seldom comes true the way you expected it to.  I get so frustrated only to see in hindsight that I wouldn't have wanted it to happen that way at all.  That frustration and pain leads us deeper into ourselves, it connects us to real life.  We come to find out disappointment, loss, and frustration are not interruptions or crises to avoid, but the way we learn who we are and what we're meant to be.  Minor keys give us the perspective to enjoy the major, the cold of the night gives the warmth of the rising sun resonance.

It is the same with our dreams.  Only after we've failed or lost sight of them that we realize how much a part of us they really are, that I wouldn't be me if I didn't act them out.  The warmth of the sun finally rising on our dreams that have been frozen in the night brings a more beautiful perspective, they are more fully alive.

All men dream; but not equally.  Some will learn to act their dreams, and this is what we need - more people who are fully alive.