Day One: Recovery

Image of the Day:

a fragile, delicate, jewel-like snail shell perched on flattened grasses. It appears incongruous, unexpected, easily-missed by feet tramping across the field but spotted and photographed by Gail. The location is the Hanson Quarry near Shap in Cumbria where we were hunting for Andy Goldsworthy sculptures!

Word of the Day: RECOVERY

What comes to mind immediately? Recovery from addiction. Recovery places one in an incongruous, seemingly inappropriate, improper sphere as one is led to behave in unexpected ways. Not drinking when one has always been part of the drinking community; making amends when one has often been too proud to be humble; facing oneself squarely...

And then i start to ruminate on the word itself. Without reference to a dictionary i first reflect:

recover, re-cover, cover again
- seat cushions on a settee
old covers removed (musing: re-move, move again?)
bare cushion revealed (musing: re-veal??)
stains seeped through, exposed wounds, old but raw
or perhaps original cover remains (musing: re-mains??)
faded, threadbare, long-forgotten,
perhaps a fond memory, or better forgotten.

Ah, so that is RECOVERY
first - lifting away, peeling back
layers of dirt, time, dis-ease
not a covering-over or a cover-up!

second - remembering, re-membering
embodying the memories
touching the wounds
listening to the stories.

third - select a new cover (a replacement? re-placement...?)
or choose nakedness.
But don't spend so much time and energy
getting the perfect fit that you
fail to appreciate
the fabric, the weave, each thread.

fourth - wear with humility and with pride

BE YOUR RECOVERY!