getting away from the computer

so i was told last week that i spend too much time at my desk, and that i need to get up and get out and about, so i don't get overtaken by my computer!

so, i found la barranca park, just a stone's throw from the church property, that is a little walking path down bay st.  this is a wonderful little planned path adjacent to the sidewalk by the water treatment plant.  it is a little refuge set aside to honor italian-american contributions to santa cruz county.

there are lots of benches!  the one to the right was given as 'a resting place for the weary'; it is a perfect place to bring your lunch and literally watch the world go by.  i have to say, santa cruz is a place where you slow down; you don't rush, and you let things happen.  watching the world go by, be it on a bench or in your car (summer is the time to admire the dust collected on your dashboard while you creep through traffic!), is truly a part of the character of this community.  what a delight!
  

i loved this little sailor on the path, pictured on your left.  as one might suspect on the coast, fishing is one of the stables for this area.  i've decided to decorate my bedroom/bath in this theme; it isn't to hard to come up with things to make it look like i'm on the beach!  it really is a refuge, and a renewing space.

but this sculpture also reminds me what it is like to work hard at your livelihood, and then to rest from your labors.  the sea is rugged and can be unpredictable, and this reminded me how attentive to live around us we have to be; paying attention also as we relax.

in that way, santa cruz is a very spiritual place to be; a reminder that there is a time for working hard to survive, and a needed time to be finding a place for renewal.  it is important, as i watch those who fish, to be very prepared for the unexpected; even as you watch the surfers, it is the thrill of the moment, even as one is prepared for the risk.  being prepared takes place before you begin, as well as being attentive in the midst of what you are doing!  as i say, this is a very spiritual reminder of how we are to live our lives; preparing oneself for living in the moment.

so, this is a place where you can find renewal and grow.  one can also get lost here, but i believe the spirit is very inviting here.  lots of places to sit and find the sacred that is deep within us, as well as right on the surface!  one of the other benches i loved is below, in memory of one who wanted to go back to sea ... and is now there.  it reminded me of paul's words in his first letter to the church in corinth (the 13th chapter) where he talks about how we only see dimly now, but eventually we will understand life fully, in the end.  i can live with that, even though i'd like to know everything right now!

and so another week begins ... how will you find rest; how will you grow; and what will you find as you get away from your computer?