A life without commercial breaks

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I took two weeks off in the second half of August. During the first week of my vacation, I had the opportunity to attend a spiritual retreat in a small town in southwestern France, near the Swiss border, called Taizé.

I have spoken several times about this ecumenical community, and for those who want to know a little about it, you can read my publication:

The trip, which I chose to make by bus, is in itself a moment of reflection and preparation for what we are going to experience that week. The gradual process of disconnecting from what is not essential is noticeable, although very gentle. In the early hours, we may even think that time would pass “better” if we were watching a series on our tablet or even on our cell phone, or if we were watching a movie, perhaps. But when choosing the means of transport, with a 22-hour journey ahead of us, it also conditions our mind to look for something other than a small or large screen in front of us...

Time passes, slowly at first, then perhaps it may even seem to us that it is not passing, but what happens is that our mind begins to look for points of interest in our ideas. In our feelings. In our convictions, and even doubts. Suddenly, everything ceases to be monotonous, and we become beings who not only inhabit the surface of this planet, who eat almost automatically, who react in response to internal or external stimuli, but without even questioning how things are, or how they could be.

The week is spent in a very simple way. We sleep in dormitories. In my case, there were five other beds in my room, but I ended up spending the whole week with the room to myself. In addition to sharing the room with other people, almost invariably from other countries and cultures, the meals are also healthier. Not that there is no pasta or bread... nothing like that. Care is taken with the amount of food allocated to each person. We don't go hungry, but with our physical activity also reduced, our caloric needs are also lower.

The prayers that take place three times a day are the most important part of this retreat. They invite us to seek questions and even some answers within ourselves. Or at the very least, they lead us to try to look elsewhere... such as those in our group, or someone we meet. There, the reality is completely different. In addition to the food and prayers, we also have a biblical introduction, where a presentation given by one of the brothers of the community is then discussed in small sharing groups.

This year, the sharing group I was with was very good. There were very powerful moments of sharing very personal things by several people. This sharing always ends up strengthening the group and developing a spirit of trust that is reflected throughout the week.

There are also short periods (about 40 to 50 minutes a day) when we perform a small task. This year, I was washing the dishes. It's not as hard as it may seem, because the trays, plates, and bowls are made of plastic. And we only use a spoon as cutlery. So only four items are used for a meal. Simple, isn't it?

This simplicity is reflected in almost everything. During the week, we learn to understand and read this simplicity in the eyes of others and in our own hearts. I think the fact that we are not looking to fill “the voids” with television or the internet means that every minute is lived intensely. Perhaps it is not just intensity, but intentionality.

The week passed. I had many experiences there. And it is not because it is my twenty-fourth or twenty-fifth time there that the essence of it all fades away. I confess that this was perhaps the time when I felt everything the most. Not while I was physically there, but more when I returned home.

I feel like something clicked inside me. From small gestures that have become part of my daily rituals. From situations that may be happening right in front of me, and I don't care so much about them. From the way I eat a meal. Everything is now done with more intention and more attention.

I know that I have only turned on the television at home on two occasions (since August 15); one was when my mother was waiting for me in the living room while I was getting ready, and to keep her “busy” I asked if she wanted to watch something on television, to which she replied yes; and the second occasion was when the technician from the new telecommunications operator came to connect my equipment (TV, internet, etc.), certainly contributed to my willingness to be more attentive to everything around me.

Nowadays, more than thirty days since I last watched the news, the last series, or even the last commercial break, life has taken on a different color.

It may seem like an exaggeration, but all the time I thought I would be busy, just because I had nothing else to do, I was actually wasting away staring at a backlit screen. The simple fact that we are not passively waiting for something makes us look for things.

And the same thing happened with food. There are few things I really like to eat that are less harmful to my health. Perhaps only bread and some cheeses stand out...

In life, we have to find space for ourselves. For now, I am managing to have a more meaningful life, just by changing very small and seemingly insignificant things, and I am seeing very good results in everything else.

One of these days I will write a little more about this subject.

Wish me luck for my new life... A life without commercial breaks!

Bem Hajam🍀

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