Nouns

Today's bog is how I, Austin, grew up learning to approach nouns. This is a continuation of my recent learnings from 'the open road university of life,' but maybe it will take a different direction. Before I begin, I have to clarify some areas from the last blog, especially on love and Christianity. First, I worte the blog, not Kindra, and so a lot of the statements express solely my views, and not neccessarily hers. Second, when I spoke of the deeper religion of love and my journey of being less 'Christian' or less religious, I was not describing a crisis of faith. Rather, I meant that I am less focused on living out the practical life that most Christians live, which usually involves Bible studies, going to church, etc. not that these are bad, but my focuse has turned inward, to the heart, to teh deeper places where I believe God dwells within us. In this place I find the true motives of my actions, and I also find true rest. Because no amount of doin on the external will bring me rest, only an internal journey will. Hence how our trip is an external one across countries, but just as much internal as we cross our hearts.

Back to nouns. A noun is a person, place or thing. Growing up, I learnied to make various nouns that were a part of my life (such as friends, family, travel, countries, toys, electronics, etc.) into big checklists. Wanted a toy? Saved for it, bought it, check. Hadn't seen a friend in awhile? Called them, check. Another country to see? Go there, come home, check. On to the next. Now, nothing wrong with this intrinsically, and I am cool with others operating this way, but for me, I think I started to miss something. Life became a big "to do" list. I rarely spent time immersed in a moment, savoring it. Instead, I was off to the next task, next adventure, next relationship. I became a doer. I became restless. I couldn't sit in a moment, or be present to what was in front of me or be able to listen. And so, my newest life lesson is approaching nouns differently. Without the checklist. If is and will be a difficult struggle and imperfect journey, but one worth pursuing =)

Right now we are on a train to Vienna to meet some friends we met very briefly in North Ireland who happened to live in Austria's capital. Kindra's birthday is September 7th, so we will celebrate in one of her fave European cities =)

Cheers!