My practice of studying Japanese Kanji has taken me way beyond understanding how to create characters; it has given me a deep dive into Japanese philosophy, which is an immeasurable gift.
Making the calligraphic marks is calming (and VERY difficult!), but the teachings behind each mark are changing my life and the way I embrace each day.
The Japanese practice of "Machikado-bika" is one example. A regular part of life, the Japanese pick up trash on their walks. "Machikado" means "street corner" and "bika" means "beautification". The philosophy comes from the moral and spiritual duty that the Japanese people embrace.
As I write this draft of my blog, Earth Day is approaching on April 22, with ads in the papers showing the time to meet at the local beach to pick up trash. It's a community event; the local paper will send someone to take photos of smiling kids and full garbage bags.
What saddens me is that Earth Day philosophy isn't every day. The same kids that will work on a sunny day at the beach when they're told to will ignore wrappers in the sand days later. The spring clean up with folks walking through local ditches with trash bags wearing neon vests will disappear, once the focus on tourism becomes the priority. The sand traps at the golf courses need to be raked; the flowers in town need to be free of weeds.
Before Earth Day existed officially in 1970, there were folks who made a habit of reusing containers and sewing scraps of fabric into new, useful items. My Grandparent's generation thought waste of any kind was akin to a crime.
Decades ago, in the 1980s, a dear friend of mine took the time to wash out her plastic bags, placing them upside down to dry. To my shame, I ridiculed her, thinking she was being "cheap", not tossing "disposable" bags. This magnificent woman thankfully ignored my stupidity and has continuously helped me to follow her example of being conscious of not only what is consumed, but how it's produced.
So, I'm the person at the dog park, picking up the waste from ANY dog that has made a "deposit" on the ground. My dog Gemma will point it out to me, with an imploring look that says, "This is SO gross; please deal with it!". We also pick up broken glass and metal, paper and plastic.
Our family has embraced "Machikado-bika" for years. It's not about one day per year, or if someone takes your photo; it's about caring for the planet we all share.
As a plein air artist, the admonition of, "hike it in/hike it out" rings in my ears constantly. An empty peanut butter jar holds dirty water, then ribbing of an old sock cleans my brushes. When I leave the treasured spot where I spent part of a day painting, no one will ever know I was there.
Thank you for spending this time with me,
Lori xx