The Cloak of Silence in the Land of Busydom
Read
Excerpt
Through the eyes of young Shaun and his relationship with “The
Misfit”
we see the incessant work ethic of the Land of Busydom both
questioned
and challenged.
Balance
When Balance enters their lives, her parents experience a great
shift in perspective.
Tranquility
Long lost cousins Guilt and Shame cause havoc in the peaceful town
of Tranquility until their techniques are uncovered and exposed by
Grandpa Jovial.
Conversations with Gregory – Child of the Night
A chance meeting of a corporate executive with a homeless child
illustrates
clearly how we need to be open to the possibility that our teachers
may come in
very unexpected forms.
Heart & Spirit in Mind and Matter
A sudden vortex sweeps up the community of Heart & Spirit, nesting
it
in the middle of Mind & Matter, resulting in a profound clash
between the
followers of the heart and the followers of the mind.
Coming From Fear
Fear’s rampant materialism encounters Gratitude and Simplicity in
the forest
of his life.
Dee Nial
Princess Dee Nial holds a favored place in the illusionary world of
the Kingdom
of Spit and Polish.
Prestige
Prestige uncovers a deeper side of her being when introduced to
Compassion.
Excerpt from
The Cloak of Silence in the Land of Busydom
The land of Busydom was a site to behold. It was the neatest,
tidiest place you could ever imagine. Everything was orderly and all
of the houses were impeccably maintained. There was no peeling paint
or torn shingles to be found anywhere (well almost anywhere). Lawns
were mowed to a 3/4 inch fineness, weeds were pulled before they
thought about growing, fences were painted yearly and new
construction was everywhere.
As you can imagine, this kept the people of Busydom very busy
indeed. They didn’t stop from mourning till night. No one slept more
than six hours and sleeping in or napping was unheard of. The
Busyness of Busydom created the loudest hum of activity imaginable.
Outside there were hammers hammering, saws sawing, mowers mowing and
paint brushes swishing. Inside there were vacuums vacuuming, washers
washing, mops mopping and dusters dusting.
When people weren’t using their tools, they were repairing them.
When they weren’t working, which was only at mealtimes, they were
planning to work, keeping their minds as busy as their hands. People
only sat down to eat, and this time was used to write up lists of
things to do, which everyone cleverly pinned upside down to their
shirt (for ease of reading).
Smack dab in the middle of Busydom was the busiest house of all. The
Workman family always won the cherished “Busiest Family” award. Mr.
and Mrs. Workman were an inspiration to their neighbors with their
cleanest house, greenest lawn and tireless energy. Their son Shaun,
was the busiest child in Busydom. He got top grades in school, had a
paper route, volunteered at the hospital and helped keep their house
the brightest and tidiest in Busydom. He could think of more things
to do than any child around and could ask more questions than anyone
in town.
He would ask his father and mother “Why are we cutting the grass
when it is so short already?” They would reply “Because it’s
Saturday.” He would ask “Why are we vacuuming when the carpet isn’t
dirty?” They would reply “Because it’s Friday.” He would ask “Why
does everyone work all the time?” and they would reply “Have you
finished cleaning the silver?”
The people of Busydom were so busy they did not have a lot of time
for “idle conversation” and so Shaun, with his constant questioning,
was a source of great distraction. The only other distraction in
town seemed to be “The Misfit” as everyone called him.
“The Misfit” lived outside town and people rarely saw him, except on
Saturdays, when he would drive to town for groceries. Shaun had
never seen such an old car and such shabby, tattered clothing.
People would look up from their work and say “Isn’t it terrible.
What a disgrace. How can anybody live like that?” When Shaun would
ask what they meant they would say “Oh, never mind!” and they would
sweep harder, paint faster or vacuum more quickly.
Shaun’s head was always full of puzzling questions and he had to
work really hard at staying focused on his chores. He had a lot of
questions about life in general and “The Misfit” in particular, but
asking them
seemed to put people into a frenzy of activity. When he asked why
everyone softly cried themselves to sleep at night, people got
busiest of all. So he learned to question less and less and to keep
more and more busy. |
“I’ve a Botticelli belly,
It’s quite round as you can see
Part of the woman of substance
I love to call me.
And if you care to look behind,
My Rubenesque rump
You will find.
A “classic” you might say,
Real woman all the way.
I don’t need any liposuction,
Breast enhancement, facial reconstruction.
No advertiser’s pawn,
I do life with my clothes on.
Pounds may come,
And pounds may go,
Wrinkles only accentuate my “glow.”
For I know “Who I Am”
And in this I proudly stand.
Sheridan Bushnell
 Excerpts
From Other Books by Sheridan Bushnell:
Untamed – Women of the New Millennium
Stepping Into the Circle – Healing Parables for a New Century
Where Imagination Meets Infinity
Exquisite Torture – The Poetry of Passion, Longing and Obsession
Drink of This and Drown
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