Siesta

I now understand the practice I learned about in my high school Spanish classes. I had an awesome teacher, by the way, but I never could understand why a whole country, basically, would close down in the middle of the day for lunch.

Well, I understand now! Living without AC, one begins to understand MANY things, both temporal and spiritual that are directly and tenuously connected to physical comforts. Specifically regarding siesta... It begins for us around 2pm and ends sometime around 5pm. Why? Well, unless it's cloudy all day: because it's basically rediculous to keep moving! Okay, so I haven't actually begun it officially because there are lots of days we simply must work through those hours, but I can see WHY a whole countrty would close for those hours! Seriously.

My Spanish teacher told us that between those hours (or something similar), when she went to Spain, she could not find a single shop open. The people went home to eat and then nap after eating. (I'm guessing the people who were napping were probably NOT the Mama.) ^_^ She soon learned that the reason for their absence from operation of their shops was really more of a necessity than a leasure sort of thing. And I add my understanding to that which she gained. The weather, when we live in it more than in opposition to it, maybe should define a lot of our lives... and why not!? I mean, we are created from the earth. We are to be in dominion of it, but I don't think defining things one does based upon weather is allowing the earth to be in dominion of us... rather I think it has MUCH more to do with living in harmony WITH the earth.

What do you think?