Outsmarting Clouds — Day 12

The Sun Gazing Experiment: 2 Full Minutes of Gazing

PART I — Clouds

I thought that doing my sun gazing experiment in Los Angeles would mean smooth sailing in terms of daily visibility; but relentless clouds over the last two days and some other shrouded mornings recently have made me realize the sun is playing hard to get. Nikki and I stood last night and gazed at brightly lit orange clouds because the sun would not reveal itself to us from behind the cumulus curtain. I realized then that I need to try and see the sun in the mornings because then I have two chances to feast on its energy and outsmart the weather.

I woke up early this morning, and after the yoga & chanting session (which I fell asleep in) I made my way to our regular mountain top. Both Nikki & Brett are away in different desert locations so I am gazing solo for the next few days. As I was rounding the bend to the parking area the sky opened up just a little to sprinkle cool mist upon my face. I put Summer’s top up and made my way to our grassy mound despite the thick and discouraging tarp of grey covering me and obscuring the sun. As I stood there I tried to coax the clouds to part with my mind. I began to feel like they were ignoring me so I switched from coaxing to daring the clouds to open just to prove they could. I sensed that if they had fingers the clouds would be flipping me the cosmic bird at that moment. I regained my composure, reassured the sun that I was happy to come even if he couldn’t make it, turned and made my way back to my car.

SIDE EFFECTS: Clouds can really mess with your gazing schedule.

BENEFITS: I am learning to maintain my tranquility even when I don’t freakin get my way!

PART II — Outsmarting Clouds

I reached another milestone! Two full minutes of gazing. I keep thinking that every time we reach another minute it’s going to be an “event gaze”, like if gazing was a TV show then each of the minute marks would be a season finale or the episode when Heather Locklear joins the cast, or something. But it turns out that in both cases so far just the opposite is true. The one minute mark was obscured by clouds and thwarted, so the next day when I gazed for a minute and ten seconds I didn’t even recognize how far we’d come. Then today for minute two the clouds were up to their old tricks. The clouds and I gathered civilly, to watch the sun come up, and I thought there was plenty of room for everyone in this gigantic auditorium we call planet earth. But the selfish clouds wanted a better view and so even though they already had the front row they decided to stand up wearing huge hats and I just couldn’t see a thing. I would have thrown my popcorn on them if I’d had popcorn and could throw 40,000 miles. But I didn’t, and I couldn’t, so I just shook my head in frustration and moped back to the car. I couldn’t believe it. Again clouds had to conspire and on the day of two full minutes ta boot.

But I had a plan! I was going to come back up here and watch the sunset. I would gaze for two minutes today, and I wasn’t going to let some puffs of evaporated water and pollution stop me! As evening rolled in I was fatigued and didn’t feel like making my trek up to the idyllic vista at the mountain crest. So I just moseyed out to my front yard and kicked off my shoes as cars whizzed by and passersby stared at the barefoot weirdo looking directly into the sun and crying. Two minutes felt easy, intoxicating, and it was over before I was ready for it to be over. But there was no hoopla, no mountain view, no ocean breeze, nobody else around. Just me and my milestone.

SIDE EFFECTS: If you stay in your neighborhood to gaze, everyone will find out you are a nut job.

BENEFITS: If everyone finds out who you are, you can finally just be who you are.