Sunday, June 18, 2006

Up and out early, today.

Not my natural choice, but our unseasonably hot weather keeps doing this too me. I've got a lot less sleep in the last couple of weeks - hasn't everyone - and keep waking up full of the joys of and raring to go.

Had a lovely day, yesterday. Got to shul early. I have a troubled and complex relationship with the shul I mostly call home. It's a long story (tell me a Jewish thing that isn't), but this is the place where many of my friends are, and even the people who might not be my friends are very lovely. Belonging to a community is probably one of my key values, if I think about it like that, and now I'm not totally sure where or if I belong.

A friend used to tell me that they thought I was very spiritual. I don't think I am. But I think that everyday, practical Jewish life is very... involving. So activity can be taken as a cipher for spirituality. Although I love the wonder and silence of shul early, the deep stillness that distills my thoughts and sometimes, I think maybe...

So I davened, and then the Rabbi made a rather shouty sermon, which didn't really do it for me (he's 100% less shouty in person; I think it's just his sermonal style), and went to lunch at T&L's. We ate wonderful (non-earnest) vegetarian food, and talked in a shouty Jewish way - there was a French woman there who I'm sure could only get about 20% of what we were saying, as not only did we talk fast, but two of us had slight northern accents. It felt like five minutes later and it was suddenly 6.30.

There is nothing quite so restorative as spending a sunny day in the garden with good friends, nice food and warm conversation.

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