no 7

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Welcome. Have you accidentally looked into the sun or bright light, and then looked away, the image burned into your eyelids? That’s an afterimage.

In the last installment of Afterimage, I shared about how the sun on my face allowed me to travel, and an essay on what this newsletter is actually about.

Here's what I saw, heard, and sensed that have stayed with me this past week. I hope this postcard can connect us, from where I am, to where you are. A start of a conversation. Let’s begin.

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What I Saw:

At the End of the Road

I landed in Tokyo and went straight to my acupuncturist’s office. I arrived early. The weather was golden. I had time to walk around the block.

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I walked through the gates. Serenity.

In Japan, we talk about 結界 (kekk'ai): sacred boundaries. You know kekk’ai when you enter a space and something is different. Maybe it’s suddenly quiet. Or there’s a different air about it. You might feel it when you enter a place of worship, or a gallery. In front of an important monument. When you know you're not supposed to be in a certain space. Or in the presence of the dying.

I took another ten steps toward the sanctuary and lit a candle. The volume of the city came down. The only thing I could hear was water running from a fountain and monks chanting in a meditation hall, further back on the property. Everything was still. Floating upward in a thin wispy thread, the incense smoke seemed to be the only thing alive.

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My Face

I had my photos taken on Thursday. My profile photos for social media were taken around 2018. I was 45. If we're connected on social media, you know the one.

I’m 49 now.

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Looking at the rough images the photographer sent through, I was pleased. I noticed what about me changed since I was 45, and what remains the same. I thought about what 49 looks like for me, and what it feels like so far. Turning 49 felt different from previous birthdays. I’d never felt sad about turning a year older until then. I asked myself and reflected on what I was most grateful for, decade by decade. At 49, I realized I’m on the eve of my fifth decade.

Later in the day, I thought of energy centers and the chakras in the body. It’s said the fourth chakra signifies love and connection, and the fifth chakra, finding voice and speaking personal truth. What if I was completing my Decade of Connection and emerging into the eve of my Decade of Truth? The sadness didn’t last long.

I let out a little yelp of excitement knowing I still had 10 more months to purge anything that I don't want in my Decade of Truth.

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Questions for you: What’s your next milestone, or the next summit you want to reach? Why do you want it? What will you purge or let go of, to make it happen?

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Your thoughts fuel mine.

Tell me what you're thinking about. Dreaming about. And what exactly you're doing about the thing you've been dreaming about.

Capture some images. Savor afterimages.

Have a great weekend.

Akiko

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Thanks for reading!

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