Sitting Serenely

The wonder and magic of any place is found in a complex combination of people, culture, smells, sounds, sights, and sentiment. But sometimes that complexity fades and one simple attribute stirs the senses. For me, the view of Mt. Merbabu in the morning wearing a cap of white cloud does this.

Thursdays I have no classes. Sometimes I go to a pretty place to sit and read, to write and listen. Other days I play saxophone for hours on end. This past Thursday I did a lot of nothing, and it was beautiful. With all the trips I've recently taken, all the studying I've been doing, and all the illnesses we've been through, sitting serenely at the foot of Merbabu with no pressing responsibilities was like coming up for air after a long swim. I felt out of breath, out of steam, just out.

By early afternoon Merbabu's little white cap transforms into a long cloak hiding its majesty among the threatening sky. White turns to gray and gray to rain. It seems the whole earth stops to bathe. The winds and rains wash away the smoke, dust, and litter from the day. And by morning, Merbabu once again comes out wearing its familiar cap to stretch in the fresh light before it takes another bath.