Burning Expectations

Hellicopters are zooming back and forth overhead, carrying thousands of gallons of water, still working to extinguish the fire that started almost four days ago. It feels strange starting to relax knowing that we still have many days of burning left, but it seems like we are relatively safe now. Though many of us are moving forward like things are back to normal, they are so obviously not. Trying to put on this meditation retreat as faithfully as we can, while dozens of hopefull attendees are turned away by state officials, has actually put a nice improvisational spin on the weekend. Years of tradition are being blown wide open and there is something refreshingly real about the decisions being made. What would "back to normal" be, anyway? I am remembering the words from a T-shirt that my old yoga teacher used to wear:

"I practice yoga every day, but I try not to make a habbit of it."