We all know the word, but I've not met anyone who can pronounce it*. I do know someone whose travel plans were thrown into chaos because of it and happily, I've had my lovely husband home with me for a bonus week!
We move through life thinking we're so organised and in control, but an unknown Icelandic volcano has reminded us this week that the truth is otherwise. The illusion of control is so beguiling, but it's only an illusion, that's for sure. Had Eyjafjallajökull chosen to continue to spew out ash and debris from the bowels of the earth for another few weeks, imagine the consequences! Workers stranded on vacation would be denied the opportunity to contribute their labour. Should they then, expect to be paid? Airlines dependent on flight schedules filled with paying passengers would rapidly go broke. People with anxiety disorders would suffer with heightened existential angst. Icelandic children with asthma and respiratory disorders would have to stay indoors. Loved ones worldwide would not be able to attend weddings and funerals. Fruit and vegetables in Scandinavia would be in extremely short supply. And as for the Stock Exchange...the mind simply boggles!
As we mused about our circumstances earlier this week my husband said, "...and maybe the earth will tilt on its axis 90 degrees tomorrow!" Maybe it will, but then again, it's far morely likely that it won't! In the meanwhile however, I'm enjoying my bonus week and thinking more often of Thich Nhat Hahn's wonderful poem:
Breathing in, I calm body and mind.
Breathing out, I smile.
Dwelling in the present moment
I know this is the only moment.
_____ _____ _____ _____
*For those of you familiar with international phonetics, here's the pronunciation (good luck with the Icelandic accent!) eiːjafjatlajœːkʏtl
Photo free from Wikimedia Commons.
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