Office Hours

I’m holding office hours Saturdays 11:00-1:00. Drop-in, in-person or zoom option. 

Stop by if you need to check-in. No need to sign up in advance. 

Keeping office hours creates a window for inquiry. A structured framework for interaction. 

I have friends who host office hours. They said often no one comes. I am prepared to hold office hours where nobody comes. Topics are open. Naturally I like politics and religion and anything else off limits. I am open to listening to ideas or poetry. 

I don’t expect anyone to show up.

This is the world I live in. How do I live in it? I try things.

Like many I don’t like feeling overwhelmed but I do like feeling whelmed at times.

One time I sat outside a grocery store waiting at a table for someone who never showed up but several other people did. Most stopped and sat with me and we talked about the day. 

Office hours is mainly about hanging out. With office hours you can appear or not, last minute, no pressure on me or you.

It feels like hosting a small party without knowing who exactly is coming. It doesn’t matter because I am the same person with everybody.

Today I had to cut the time down to one hour because I forgot I signed up to be a zoom break-out session leader for a Quaker retreat. I’m an “earth-quaker” which means I care about helping the earth and am also a Quaker. I didn’t invent the term.

Office hours will be good as it will inspire me to clean the house, wear something besides rags, be receptive to the wondrous and mundane, and be present for the sharing of perceptions.

Today, one person showed up, a call from out-of-state and we filled the time easily.

AdditionalIy, 25 ducks, 10 squirrels, 12 bluejays, and 10 crows dropped by.

I don’t name most of the wildlife except the squirrels. Over the years I’ve named them Filbert, Monk, Toboggan, Gratuity, Doorstop, Tempeh, Tofu, Falafel, Sasquatch, Buttons, Bacon, and Fudge.

A group of ducks are called dozens of things, depending on if they are in the air, on land, or in water. On land, they can be called a sword, fistful, brace, fleet, flush, waddling, and more. In the water, they are referred to as a raft.

I am motivated by poets. Bill Stafford wrote something about his childhood that reminded me of my childhood: “We knew we were operating in an area of general acceptance.”

He also said: “To write or make art takes a certain amount of courage and a certain amount of arrogance.”

Stop by to discuss further.