There is
one Way that is the proper course
of all that lives
and from which all things flow and
one Power that animates and perfects all things,
and they together
are at one and the same time
the dynamisms of nature,
of practical endeavor,
of social and political life,
and of spiritual truth.

-David Bentley Hart

Summer time makes a splendid entrance, as if appearing at the top of a wide, curved staircase, descending to a grand ballroom, — long days filled with sunlight to the nourishment of all vegetative life, and mammals too, and avian life, all busied with reproduction, raising their young. The sentence is too long. On the other hand everything is related and linguistic distinctions that we humans must make, are manifestly artificial. At the still point of the turning world,…and there is only the dance, wrote T. S. Eliot. Nature is nothing other than seamless flow. You and I are in and of this flow.

Shall we enjoy!

Shortly I will depart from Starbucks. The morning has felt satisfactory. Dark roast coffee was hot and astringent. Just what I expect (and need), a welcome ritual to signal the gift of another day to be alive. And the meaningful conversation was appreciated.

Now I hope to mow the front lawn as soon as I can. There’s no need to be outside in midday heat. I enjoy lawn mowing. Maintenance is necessary, repetitive, and “good” work. A lawn mindfully trimmed, shows care. All too often I do not care for the right things. Or am distracted, not caring enough.

For the grass mowing task, I will use an E-Go mower, a simple and effective machine. Kudos to the engineers at E-Go who thought about, and tested prototypes of the mower that I use with pleasure to cut the grass. The mower battery charges in about an hour. It has the capacity for an hour of mowing, just enough to finish both front and backyard.

* David Bentley Hart is a philosopher, scholar of religion, and culture critic currently doing research at University of Notre Dame. Recently I purchased his new translation of the Tao Te Ching. Hart began his study of Lao Tsu’s work some 40 years ago.

This tune is suited to what I mean to say. The lyrics speak for itself. Like A Prayer by Madonna.