Rock On

 Not a big fan of hard music rock, I don't mind a little soft rock. But this isn't about music. As I've said before, I go out every single day: rain, shine, sleet or snow to have my first coffee on the deck. I love the time sitting in my basket chair just rocking and sipping. There's something about not only being outside no matter the weather, and that "something", is rocking. This morning, while gazing at the great sentinel cedars rising nearby above these city roofs, and watching the birds beginning to gather and flock as they do in the Fall, I rock. I call it my meditation time, and it beats medication. I had some elder neighbours once, who took sleeping pills and seldom made an appearance before noon. How sad is that? First of all, those who believe they have to sleep a certain number of hours a night and at certain times while they are retired, have it all wrong. When you don't work, you can sleep any time you wish. If you sleep away the morning, the best half of the day, you are missing out. If I happen to wake up at three in the morning, I think, what a great time to do some reading or maybe writing on my computer. Who cares about the clock or the silly questions elders are asked such as "who is the prime minister" or " what's the date"? Learned people put a lot of weight on these questions. Do we care? Nope.  I have news for  you. Seniors have given up living by the clock or calendar other than the necessary dates and times required for appointments. And even then, we don't always take them seriously. If we err on them, hey, that is a senior "normal". Being out on my deck in my rocking basket chair, can be at any time of the day or night and it's always a joy no matter when. I can see only one bright star at night, due to the scathingly brilliant lights used for "security" by my neighbours. Thieves don't have wings and usually go on foot, so what's the point in lighting up a whole sky?  Keep those things shining down where they belong. Please. Back to rocking. When we are babies, and need comfort, we are rocked. As tots, we love to have a toy to sit on and rock. The rocking motion is comforting due to our being inside our moms as they moved about. The rocking motion makes us feel safe as we were then.  When we are small children we head for the park or back yard swings because, there again, we love to rock. It makes us feel like flying and being free of gravity that is constantly at work pulling us and everything else ever down.Those who are afflicted with certain mental complaints often rock to comfort themselves. How else can they express this need for comfort? Rocking seems to be something that everyone loves, and many people save their old mismatching rocking chair to rock in. We need, in this stressed-out world, to find comfort, and what better way than to rock. It's free. and makes on feel free. Rocking back and forth is not gazing at the TV black news or silly cell phone and being addicted to plucking away at it for no reason at all. Put these things down, and get into a rocking chair, a swing, a swinging basket chair hung inside or out, and rock your cares away.  As you rock, just rock, not talk, not worry, not stress you'll fee much better. Try it and  you'll see.