Nate Knows Nada

Christmas is almost here!

I’m spending it in a monastery, which many people seem to think is a
bit odd.  But if you regard it as a religious holiday, it’s not
THAT odd, I think.

I sent out cards today.  Almost all of them.  I figure that
since Christmas is 12 days long, they’ll arrive during Christmas.

One nice thing that I have become reacquainted with in the monastery is
the value of silence.  The SSJE brothers do not have a vow of
silence, but they do try to keep a quiet atmosphere.  And so one
doesn’t have to talk very much if one doesn’t want to.  And it’s
something of a relief not to have to interact with people
verbally.  But it forces you to deal with them more intimately, by
looking at their face and their eyes (which I think we can often avoid
in day-to-day life and work), and seeing what’s written there.

May you have a Merry Christmas, full of light, peace, and joy.

And I’ll be back in a few days.