Don't Have a Cow, Man!

I grew up on a dairy farm in Central New York, and then spent more than 20 years in Fort Worth, Texas, aka Cowtown, USA. My work eventually relocated me back to the northeast, briefly in Boston and then on to Vermont. I now live in a very quirky, artsy-fartsy corner of the world and enjoy it immensely. And, get this--it's the home of the Strolling of the Heifers parade! The cow theme of my travels tickles me!

Actually, the idea of a big ole cow with endearing eyes and long, curly eyelashes, munching on grass and basking in the sun, takes me back to when I was a little girl on the farm. I didn’t know it at the time, but I was practicing meditation during those carefree afternoons. I found peace and meditative stillness and beauty in the cows’ pastures. After cavorting with my brother and sister, I’d often find a quiet knoll, flop down in the grass, and lose myself gazing at the clouds. The soughing of the grass and leaves lulled me into stillness, and time seemed suspended, or meaningless.

If I close my eyes now, I can conjure up that sunlit stillness, the sweet smell of the grass, the rushing of the nearby water, and the feeling of contentment flowing through me. That feeling danced through me and stayed with me for hours.

I hope you experience that sweet stillness and contentment today. No matter the deadline or the gnarly prose you’re trying to untangle, remember to breathe deeply for a few moments. Or conjure up your own special place and visit there for a few moments. And, as Bart Simpson says, “Don’t have a cow, man!”