It turns out John Lennon found the experience of going nowhere quite liberating:
"“I remember I was just going through this paranoia trying to write something and nothing would come out so I just lay down and tried to not write and then this came out, the whole thing came out in one gulp.” https://genius.com/The-beatles-nowhere-man-lyrics
Beautiful reflection. “Going nowhere requires a willingness to show up for how life presents itself, not how we think it should be—to wander slowly and very much at random, letting ourselves drop into the miracle of existence” This resonates so much with my yoga teachings! Continuing to be curious about life requires going nowhere…
Yes! Yoga is a such a good teacher for "going nowhere and being now-here," sinking into poses, allowing the discoveries to be subtle but no less profound. Thanks for reading Imola!
I love the shift from nowhere to now-here! So clever and wise. Janine Benyus was so galvanizing when I saw her speak and read her book years ago. She fits well in this essay. “Learning from them will take only stillness on our part, a quieting of the voices of our own cleverness.”
I heard Janine in a podcast a few months ago and so appreciated her depth of knowledge married to a deep adoration for the earth. Yes to quieting our cleverness! These funny little egos of ours, always asserting their importance.:)
What a lovely closing line, Kimberly. I really struggle with a sense of spinning my wheels sometimes, but I very much appreciate your reminder that now-here is an option, and one worthy of embrace.
I'm so glad this spoke to you Joshua. We all fall into the spinning and our productivity-driven culture only encourages it. To know we have the option to stop offers a kindness to our nervous systems, quieting our animal bodies to the more nuanced and unconditionally fulfilling aspects of our aliveness.
Poetry in prose define this glorious essay so full of heartfelt wisdom, a glimpse into the heart that is Kimberly Warner. Hard for me to express how grateful I am to have come to know her from afar, to have her as my guest on this site. She, of life as it should be, not as it is though she travels there as well with her telling of Dylan's struggle and how alive he was inside ALS that seemed to shut him down. I woke this morning to read this essay and to face existence anew with Kimberly's world view that grows out of an unsteady world that she has made into hope, connection, discovery and ultimately a world that discovers goodness in the flaws, in the perfection and the making of both.
I love your phrase "combined lenses of feline and human perception" Veronika. If you only knew how true this is! I spend so much time with my kitties that I admit I might become one someday. Meow.
I know what you mean... Sometimes, when our cat yowls at me, and I try to figure out what she's trying to tell me, I yowl back in her language. She then looks at me with big blue eyes (she's a tabby pointed Siamese) and seems to understand what I'm saying, even though I don't have a clue... 🤫
Your piece reminded me of Alexandra Horowitz's chapter on walking through New York with her dog (from the book 'On Looking: Eleven Walks with Expert Eyes' ~ one of the experts is her dog!) 💕
so much good stuff here / i invented a new word after reading your post 'cataphonic' when you're super mellow and highly energized : ) do you mind if i link your post on my substack ??
I've never had the internal quiet to go nowhere, but a few times I've found you can go somewhere and bring nothing. I think they are probably related.
I loved this.
It turns out John Lennon found the experience of going nowhere quite liberating:
"“I remember I was just going through this paranoia trying to write something and nothing would come out so I just lay down and tried to not write and then this came out, the whole thing came out in one gulp.” https://genius.com/The-beatles-nowhere-man-lyrics
Oh goodness. This is such a cool bit of trivia!
Beautiful reflection. “Going nowhere requires a willingness to show up for how life presents itself, not how we think it should be—to wander slowly and very much at random, letting ourselves drop into the miracle of existence” This resonates so much with my yoga teachings! Continuing to be curious about life requires going nowhere…
Oh how fun!
Yes! Yoga is a such a good teacher for "going nowhere and being now-here," sinking into poses, allowing the discoveries to be subtle but no less profound. Thanks for reading Imola!
Thank YOU Kimberley! I think your beautiful essay has inspired a line in a short story I am writing right now! What a gift!
I love the shift from nowhere to now-here! So clever and wise. Janine Benyus was so galvanizing when I saw her speak and read her book years ago. She fits well in this essay. “Learning from them will take only stillness on our part, a quieting of the voices of our own cleverness.”
I heard Janine in a podcast a few months ago and so appreciated her depth of knowledge married to a deep adoration for the earth. Yes to quieting our cleverness! These funny little egos of ours, always asserting their importance.:)
You captured Dylan’s essence in your sentence “His stillness is dancing.”
I am certain he gained immense pleasure from your calendula foot massage. How tender that moment must’ve been.
Nova and Otis have much to teach us about the bacchanalian life. Eh. ❣️
Haha, they do indeed! Eat nap play repeat!
Mine too! There is something amazing about having cats in one’s life.
What a lovely closing line, Kimberly. I really struggle with a sense of spinning my wheels sometimes, but I very much appreciate your reminder that now-here is an option, and one worthy of embrace.
I'm so glad this spoke to you Joshua. We all fall into the spinning and our productivity-driven culture only encourages it. To know we have the option to stop offers a kindness to our nervous systems, quieting our animal bodies to the more nuanced and unconditionally fulfilling aspects of our aliveness.
Poetry in prose define this glorious essay so full of heartfelt wisdom, a glimpse into the heart that is Kimberly Warner. Hard for me to express how grateful I am to have come to know her from afar, to have her as my guest on this site. She, of life as it should be, not as it is though she travels there as well with her telling of Dylan's struggle and how alive he was inside ALS that seemed to shut him down. I woke this morning to read this essay and to face existence anew with Kimberly's world view that grows out of an unsteady world that she has made into hope, connection, discovery and ultimately a world that discovers goodness in the flaws, in the perfection and the making of both.
so true
god bless the day i found i found the both of you (hmmm…song lyrics?)
Tears, nothing but tears. I feel seen Mary. Thank you from the depths of my heart to yours.
What a wonderful journey from nowhere to now here, and a tender exploration through the combined lenses of feline and human perception.
Thank you Kimberly, Nova, and Otis 🙏 🐈
I love your phrase "combined lenses of feline and human perception" Veronika. If you only knew how true this is! I spend so much time with my kitties that I admit I might become one someday. Meow.
I know what you mean... Sometimes, when our cat yowls at me, and I try to figure out what she's trying to tell me, I yowl back in her language. She then looks at me with big blue eyes (she's a tabby pointed Siamese) and seems to understand what I'm saying, even though I don't have a clue... 🤫
Your piece reminded me of Alexandra Horowitz's chapter on walking through New York with her dog (from the book 'On Looking: Eleven Walks with Expert Eyes' ~ one of the experts is her dog!) 💕
Haha! If only we could know!
That sounds like a fabulous book. I'm going to check it out now. ;)
so much good stuff here / i invented a new word after reading your post 'cataphonic' when you're super mellow and highly energized : ) do you mind if i link your post on my substack ??
I love this new word! Let’s start using it and see how long it takes to catch on.:)
Please share. I’d be honored.
Lovely. Thank you for this essay.
Thank you for taking a moment to “go nowhere” and read it.:)
I love: “nowhere is where everything comes from.” Long live our furus!
Thank you Kathryn. Feeding my furus some kitty grass at the moment so they can pretend they’re outside on this rainy Oregon day.:)