4~—-Sunday,“April 5, 1987 - North Shore-News Bob Hunter @ strictly personal @ THERE ARE days when the most important thing hap- pening in your life is the nothing part. The trick is io recognize it. This is a variation, of course, on the old Kalil Gibran line, ‘‘Let there be spaces in your togetherness.”’ Not only that, but let there be spaces in your experience of life. It doesn’t have to be.right on or productive or even meaningful all the time, I’m one of those people who always has to have a project go- ing. Actually, it’s worse than that. | even figure I’ve ‘‘wasted’”’ a night if i don’t have any dreams to remember at the end of it. A good, useful night’s sleep is one where J learn at least a dozen things about the meaning of life thanks to metaphor-laden dreams ‘that can keep me busy all morn- ing puzzling out’ their rich nuances. A Just ‘‘being”~ strikes me as wimpy. I feel a kind of residual Protestant: ethic, even if 1 was raised as a Catholic. Not ‘‘doing something’’ bothers me. It takes a conscious effort of will to suppress the urge to do. ‘ something. In fact, I can exhaust myself making myself not do ‘anything even for a few minutes. [1 To try to do |nothing for hours “or days takes energy. ‘I.mean, J -don’t get off on “Sports, and | guess the kind thing to say about sports is that it’s an activity that keeps you busy con- centrating | on small, useless tings. .- lt makes the utter trivia of cat-. ching a ball into a major event... «I-am slowly beginning to real- ‘ize-that’ those who take_ part in. 4 sports. — amateur sports, that is "are not. actually the dimbilbs I -always assumed them to be. They,» are. seeking a state ‘of consciousness, “or. lack of. it, which. has Plenty of credentials going for it. There is indeed some connec- ‘tion between Taoistic notions of wu-hsin- or : .“No-Mind’’ and ‘competitive - sporting activities. Even the spectators get to join.in. Thanks ‘to television, billions: of . human: beings: around the planet ‘can, join’ in blissful group mindlessness, watching a _ single Olympic event. ‘This must be good. Alas, I miss out on all that, because [’m busy out here some- where thinking I have to think, or worrying about the fact that i haven’t worried about anything for 10 full minutes. The phrase “‘taking your mind off things’’ is very telling, don’t you agree? It assumes (a) your mind was on something in the WHY? * Short arying time * No fading © Removes difficult dirt * No shampoo residue © Stays cleaner longer first place and (b) that getting it off is good. Indeed. The big question is, how? There’s Scrabble, for sure. And Monopoly. And poker. And Black Jack. And roulette. And video games. And the horses. Have f not mentioned sex? But they are all games, right? Hell, I grew bored with chess, one of the ultimate games, a long time go, and have not, sad to say, found a substitute game to play in either Go or Backgam- mon. It’s like jig-saw puzzles. Once you get out of the habit, it’s impossible to go back. The only game that really holds my interest is the game of life. Seeing what happens to people. Seeing what happens to myself, Loved ones. Nations. Geopolitical alliances. The real stuff. Why play Risk when you can buy some stock and experience | the real thing? Why play Bingo when you could start an affair? Why watch wrestling when you could argue with the old lady? _If you want entertainment, turn on the late-night news. The real stuff is just so much juicier than games, I’m afraid. Yet there is definitely some- thing to be said for ‘‘wasting time’’, Take yesterday. It was another school holiday, so my younger kids were at home. They waste an enormous amount of time. You could say they waste all their time, almost. : But they are sure having fun doing it, while I am down at my office, working away on one pro- ject or another. ' The eight-year-old boy was sit- ting on the couch, hugging his legs, grinning, when I went into the house to make some more coffee, the better to keep me bar- relling along on track with my work schedule and all. ““What’s up?] | asked. “T’v> decided to sit still on the couch for an hour,’’ he replied proudly. ‘I’ve ibeen on it’’— he consulted with; the babysitter — “for 28 minutes. ” I congratulated him and went off to get the coffee pot cranked up. What an interesting activity — sitting on a couch for an hour! I thought. about joining him, maybe seeing if I could just sit still on a couch for an hour, too. Ha! Dismissed the thought in- stantly. Not a chance! Hey, I'ma busy adult male. We don’t have time for that kind of stuff. Our exclusive purification process leaves your carpet “CQO-FRESH! RECOMMENDED BY CARPET. MANU FACTURERS Book Your Spring Cleaning Now! Fire burns NV man AN APRIL I basement suite fire sent a 32-year-old man to Lions Gate Hospital suffering from minor burns and smoke inhalation. North Vancouver District Fire Department and North Vancouver RCMP «attended the fire, which broke out around 2:45 a.m. at 2473 William Ave. The man was reported in stable condition. And the cause of the fire is still undetermined. NVDFD is continuing its in- vestigation. TEN VISITS 6 different strength super beds for dif- § ferent skin types and trained staff are y waiting for you 134 East 15th \\ yy Free parking at rear Open ? days a week EUROPEAN TANDONG STUDIOS North Vancouver 985-3207 “THE TANNING PROFESSIONALS” 4 If you outht yoursell from Tilley Endurables. youll look great. feel marvellous, and possibly even ear more lun — strangers wearing Tilleys often talk to one another. The stories we've heard! HERE’S WHAT YOU REALLY NEED A NotYet-Famous Tilley Hat. Acknowledged the best in the world (as 1s most of what we make — no false modesty here!) it loats, bes of wont shtink, lasts forever or else, comes with a fourpage Owners manual and :n every adult size, $39. “Endurable” Clothes. Theyte made for where youte gaing Smashing on wornen. dashing on men Ant-pickpocket pockets Five-year guarantee Wash them in the tub at night: wear them lo breaktas! Shorts, Long Shorts, Pants, Culottes, Wap Skirts, Shirts, Satari Jackets... MORE COMFORTABLE THAN NOTHING AT ALL! Tilley Cottons. Pure cotton casuals that won't shrink and ate no iron. Theyte unique in Canada and we cant make enough [9 ga around. Phata by O Dahmer OUR FOUNDER CONTEMPLATES THE VASTNESS OF THE SAHARA while stanaing satety by # sand dune, twelve feet fom a highway. in Cape Cod. § Show Specials j Luxurious Saxony i i Drop in, Phone or Write Mon.-Sat. 10-5 Barktara Tilley 980-2631 1559 Pemberton Ave., N.V. jHardwood Flooring F “Rustic Oak” Pre-Finished $437 | ea From Remnants sq.yd. 3 ft & under EDGEMONT CARPET andi LINO 4083 Roosevelt Crescent 985-0011 985-0114 North Vancouver {2 blocks behind the Avalon Hotel) CENTRE UMITED ; We have extended our 2 f business hours: . Friday 9-8, Sat. 9-5