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The Value of Rest

This article was originally written for the September 2022 edition of Hemispheric News, delivered as part of the Hemispheric Views podcast member bonus program, One Prime Plus.


Beck Tench is a person whom I follow online. Beck has produced a range of content pertinent to her areas of interest as an academic. One of the topics Beck has written about includes the power of rest and what makes a restorative environment. I’ve always found this interesting. I’m not an academic but I do have a brain that grabs onto new and interesting thoughts, philosophies and approaches.

Rest by definition is restorative. If the body and soul are not being restored in a period of rest - then what is the point? But in this modern world, what is rest?

I think mental rest is almost more important than physical rest for many of us. That is not to diminish physical rest - especially hours of sleep - but many of us as modern knowledge workers are not destroying our bides daily in the way the majority of the workforce once did.

We are, however, pressing our minds so much more, whether that be through higher-level thinking or information absorption. How many RSS feeds, podcasts, news articles, and social networks do you imbibe daily?

The point is, we need to give our brains a break. We need a chance to restore.

Beach

Recently I enjoyed a week away in Exmouth - a remote town of Western Australia. Exmouth has bad internet. You may have surmised this when I called into Episode 064: Nested Jackets. On this holiday I was able to step away from the daily hosepipe of information. I allowed my mind a rest from the the thoughts of others and gave it a chance to focus on the here and now, and my own thoughts.

In addition, I gave my body more activity and motion than it usually gets - but an amount that is more healthy than what I typically achieve. This may seem opposed to my thoughts about rest. But what it meant was that I went to bed hours earlier than usual and got more sleep each night.

This additional rest was restorative.

Another element of Beck Tench’s thesis (as best I can tell) is that water is restorative. I experienced this to be true on my holiday. Between pool swims, ocean splashing and reef snorkelling seeing coral fish and turtles, being in and around water was restorative.

What am I trying to say through this essay? Apart from corroborating what I’ve noticed Tench write about, it is an exhortation to myself to not lose touch of the value of stepping away; and to you, to encourage you to take a rest yourself.

Week One Done & Finished With a Flourish

Completed Dot Painting

Today I completed my first week at my new job. It’s been a whirlwind, but every day has been better than the previous one.

It’s been so many years since I started a new job that I wasn’t match fit in the process. I’d forgotten how to ‘start over’, so that in itself has been an experience.

Learning what is expected of me, and figuring out how to implement that without getting lost in the minutiae becomes the next challenge. I need to keep my head elevated and focus on the strategic objectives, without getting too deep into the weeds of daily tasks. An interesting juggling act to think about over the coming weeks.

Today, however, as part of NAIDOC Week, a bunch of the team got together to work on an indigenous-style artwork. We were provided with the starting template and then as a team we “completed the dots”. It was a great way to get to know everybody and bond while doing an activity that was quite meditative.

The team is a wonderful group. I haven’t done a team activity for such a long time, and this was a perfect way to end a first week at a new job.

I am also proud of the painting. I think it looks fantastic!

Early stages of the work Dot painting in progress Dot painting and paint tubs

That feeling when you’re enjoying the job of being a basketball commentator. πŸ€

Creating rice outline islands with my boys.

It’s storming outside. I’m sick and don’t have a voice. Today’s Public Holiday is wasted on me. My boy wanted me to feel better so brought me breakfast in bed. πŸ₯°

The Whale, 2022 - β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…

Incredible acting supported by great lighting and the 4:3 aspect ratio.

The Redeem Team, 2022 - β˜…β˜…β˜…Β½

Turns out I like Carmelo Anthony, even though he carved up Australia when playing for USA.

Post-soccer hangs with The Booj.

Looking forward to commentating #NBL1 West action between Perth Redbacks and East Perth Eagles, streaming on Kayo Freebies tonight. πŸ€ πŸŽ™οΈ

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, 2023 - β˜…β˜…β˜…Β½

I like that I don’t need to be an MCU nerd to enjoy this film. I didn’t like the music in this as much as the first two, but playing from a brown Zune makes up for it. The corridor scene is epic.

andrewcanion.com/cv

Voyager just slayed at Eurovision! 🎢

andrewcanion.com/cv

kayo-perth-willetton.png

This week in NBL1 West basketball I am commentating Perth Redbacks v Willetton Tigers (women and men). These games will be broadcast on Kayo Sports Freebies. Watch the stream and enjoy my commentary!

I just became moustachioed!

The Super Mario Bros. Movie, 2023 - β˜…β˜…Β½

Hits all the Mario tropes, and I got a few chuckles along the way. Mainly one for the kids, though.

Tomorrow I am flying to Karratha to commentate the NBL1 basketball game between Geraldton Buccaneers and Perth Redbacks. It will be streamed live at 7pm (+8GMT) if you want to watch. πŸ€

Air, 2023 - β˜…β˜…Β½

A basketball movie about business - my kind of film! Would have benefited from some tighter editing, but it’s always a pleasure to watch Damon act.

Thank You for Smoking, 2005 - β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…

I was excited to rewatch this movie, until I saw the opening credits where both Elon Musk and Peter Thiel were listed as Executive Producers. Urgh.

On the Hemispheric Views Discord I diagrammed my cable connections after my recent setup change. I thought it would be fun to post it here, as well.

New Mac Setups

Today I restructured my computing setup. For about 2 years I’ve been running a MacBook Air M1 as a satellite device, keeping my 2019 Intel iMac as my centralised ‘home base’. The iMac had a nice screen, 40GB RAM and apart from at boot, never felt slow.

To the iMac were connected a bunch of devices, including a Stream Deck, JBL speakers, an EVO-4 audio interface, and a Time Machine drive.

Today, I got sick of the whole setup. The slow load time and the flakiness it was showing with regard to iCloud Drive sync pushed me over the edge.

I’ve promoted my MacBook Air to ‘home base’ status. I’ve retired the JBL speakers, Stream Deck and Time Machine drive.

For the time being, I have access to a Studio Display, which I’m using as a great monitor. If I lose access to this, I can see myself buying another (perhaps even with nanotexture glass). The MacBook Air feels faster with a bigger screen!

2023 03 26 study

The iMac isn’t entirely retired, although I’ve moved it into a retirement home, setting up a new computer desk in my front ‘library’. Now I can choose my computing location - study or library. It might be nice.

2023 03 26 library

In all the changes, I considered promoting my mac mini to ‘home base’ but the fact that I bought it with only 8 GB RAM, and the noise that its attached 4-bay Thunderbay drive array made meant that idea was short-lived. That machine is back in the closet running as the headless media server once again.

The Love Punch, 2013 - β˜…

This was bad. What were the contract terms that got Emma Thompson and Pierce Brosnan on board?

Living, 2022 - β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…

A great reflection on what is truly important in life. Supported by great cinematography and the audio treatment of the dialogue is lovely.

A Relationship Well-lived

“So it goes”
β€” Kurt Vonnegut, Slaughterhouse-Five

Andrew and Hannah 2017

I met Hannah Beazley in 1999.

We married on 19 March 2005.

Innumerable highlights (and lowlights), some of which include:

18 years of marriage.

Now, that chapter comes to a close.

Life is long. People grow and change. Wants and needs change and morph.

I will never have another marriage, or even relationship, like the one I’ve had with Hannah. My heart sings with happiness about the time we’ve had together. I look forward to continuing to work with Hannah on our shared lifelong project of parenting our two beautiful boys. The time for romantic love, however, has come to an end. In its place is admiration, respect and appreciation for a friend who has been there through the highs and lows, and will continue to be there for our children as they experience the highs and lows of their own lives.

Stoicism has been a helpful support over the past few months. Concerning myself with the controllables, and letting everything else be, has been a great help. I thank my friends and family for their support. Emotions are hard and having shoulders has been a blessing.

Despite the massive change this change of relationship status entails, I feel sanguine. A life is long. I have been rewarded with a successful relationship that lasted 24 years. This is a thing deserving of marvellous celebration. An end is not a failure. Our relationship brought two new incredible people into a world that needs more incredible people in it. Now that relationship closes, and I feel appreciation and kindness towards the one I shared it with. I am so grateful there is no domestic violence, hatred, drug abuse, or other negative elements. The relationship ran its course and ended well. That is a good thing.

Now, Hannah and I both enter new phases of our lives, and we work to ensure our children understand that this can be a good thing for us and them.

For me, it’s an opportunity to once more spread my wings. To try new things, meet new people and explore the world on my own terms. There will be hard, lonely and depressing times. I know this to be true. But there is a chance for a recreation, a rebirth.

I look forward to what comes next as I strive to live my best life.

Did some window shopping at the Apple Store yesterday.

I am enjoying reading The Daily Stoic each morning as a devotional. Today, this resonated.

My nephew Alex Canion doing media on ABC News. His band Voyager are going to be playing Eurovision in a couple of months!

Photoblogging Challenge Day 5: tile

Bohemian Rhapsody, 2018 - β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…

Watched on Friday March 3, 2023.

My reward for mowing the lawn.