At temple on the high holidays, nobody likes being there. Most people come for the one 5 min prayer that is a memorial for the dead. They come early cause they don’t know when it will start and they leave right when it’s finished. I am one of the people that stays for the whole services. That means I am there for a long period of time and when you’re sitting in one place for 5 hours, your mind tends to wonder. I tend to think of a T.V. show like avatar the last air bender. Think of how cool it would be to bend the elements. Or what I'm going to do over my friends house after services, or maybe even the next time I can eat. But this is the time when I should be reflecting to g-d about myself, not thinking about nick shows. This is when I need to buckle down and pray, cause I need it.Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Prompt #5
At temple on the high holidays, nobody likes being there. Most people come for the one 5 min prayer that is a memorial for the dead. They come early cause they don’t know when it will start and they leave right when it’s finished. I am one of the people that stays for the whole services. That means I am there for a long period of time and when you’re sitting in one place for 5 hours, your mind tends to wonder. I tend to think of a T.V. show like avatar the last air bender. Think of how cool it would be to bend the elements. Or what I'm going to do over my friends house after services, or maybe even the next time I can eat. But this is the time when I should be reflecting to g-d about myself, not thinking about nick shows. This is when I need to buckle down and pray, cause I need it.
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I like the way that you added humor into it with the nick shows and how you need to spend time with yourself, and be in the moment. This prompt kinda reminded me of Yoga and that you need to think about the present and not worry about what is going to happen later but focus on the now.
ReplyDeleteGreat Job
going to temple can sometimes be boring and I also have a hard time realizing that I should be paying attention to what the rabbi is saying and not about what I am going to do after services...its good that you can center yourself to see what you should be doing at that point in time.
ReplyDeleteI love the last sentence! It is so honest and shows your intent for going to temple! I also really love when you say "think about how cool it would be to ben the elements." Great job :)
ReplyDeleteI can't directly relate with your experience but I know what it is like to be in one place for the same time and to watch as your mind wonders out of bounds. Its good that your aware of this and that you know where your thoughts should be but I also like that you can be so deeply involved in one thing and letting your imagination go to work at the same time.
ReplyDeleteI like this because you can acknowledge the fact that you are not always living in the moment. I feel the same way about services, they get extremely boring and few of us can get really into it. When you can buckle down and pray you will feel a better sense of accomplishment after the service.
ReplyDeleteYou had a moment semi similar to Liz Gilbert's she was in a holy place and had a hard time focusing being where she was and praying. I completely understand how you feel when there's a lot going on in your head when you should be focused on something else or something you really want and need to be focused on.
ReplyDeleteI think we all have experiences of not wanting to be someplace. It's always warming to have realizations like you did in a place of service, like temple. Reflection time should always be a good time.
ReplyDeleteI also know what it is like to sit in a synagogue and listen to all of the chanting that goes on. Its miserable, no offense. Chances are you are sitting there in formal clothes surrounded by many people who will treat you like a different species if your phone rings. It is also brutally hot in there in those clothes and yes, I have experienced my mind wandering during ceremonies such as what you described. Well done
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