Tranquilo

Joanne Woodward once described knitting as a "functional meditation." It is that, as well as the vehicle for my gaining the patience that I am claiming after leaving the USA 12 days ago. Waiting for three hours to teach people who just don't show up? No worries, I've got my knitting. Waiting at the airport, in line at the International Police, or the Civil Registry (as I am here in this picture. What we thought would take 15 minutes took 2 hours, right here. On this bench. We also got 7 parking tickets while we were there ; ). We couldn't imagine why they were pounding on our car window as we backed out after having a celebratory completo once we had the required papers in hand), or Immigration, being in the back seat or the passenger seat as we drive to Melipilla multiple times or to Santiago-- life is good, I've got nowhere else to go and I've got my knitting. When the cold weather hits in June, I'll be ready with a pair or two of wooly handmade socks and a new-found hint of "tranquilo."

It's hardly my nature. One year when I went to Teton Science School with a small group of outdoorsy and like-minded teachers for a weekend workshop, there was a discussion and recap of the course, as we sat in the mandatory share-your-thoughts circle. When it was my turn I said that I'd busted my buns to get there, preparing myself to be ready to leave right after school, planning lessons for my class of fourth-graders for the next week, taking care of my family at home-- and now that we were there I was somewhat frustrated that there was so much unstructured time. "I know you are," Steve Archibald, the environmental guru of all time in my mind, said, "that's why you're here. You need to learn to be." I'm not sure that knitting qualifies as just "being," but I'm getting closer.

I do really like the calmer, less intense pace that I feel here. We have appointments that may or may not pan out, but life goes on, time passes, I get an inch more of my sock done, and if I for some reason have to stand someone up when they are expecting me, I won't have an ulcer worrying that they are upset. they are old hands at being "tranquilo," and I love them for it.

Ciao for now.