Jamie Quail
Stepping Stone 14 Guide
"I’m Jamie, and I feel inspired by the resilience of living things and the mystery of life; and when all of that gets too heavy, a bit of lightness found through The Bachelor, vinyls, and delicious food will do the trick."
In engaging with this steppingstone, it seemed to open my awareness to joy. I began looking at each moment as an opportunity for play or to utilize my imagination. For example, as I watched bees disappear in a tree trunk that my hammock hung from, I began to imagine the mysterious world of the bee. Maybe it was entering a magical tree-trunk world, full of other buzzing bees and life.
While on a hike with my partner Max, rather than just something to pass by, I now saw the thousands of pine cones on the trail as opportunities for playfulness. Picking one up and throwing it to Max, running to catch it as he threw it back, passing it back and forth with our hands and then with our feet as it fell to the ground – laughing all the while.
"The voice of fear was still there, but another was louder: 'Do it! Why not? Play!'"
The biggest challenge I came across as I engaged with this steppingstone was my inner voice that wanted to keep me tame. On one of my regular weekly walks to a nearby lake, I noticed, at a distance, that someone had created something big with chalk. As I got closer, I noticed it was an invitation to play. There were three lines – each with a different pattern and shape, interrupted with different offerings such as “spin” or “clap 5 times” or “jump”. The instructions at the starting line were: “Choose a line and follow it! If you’re with someone, make it a race!” I began to choose a line, but I then saw that people walking towards me and realized they would see me acting silly. I heard the voice: “No, that would be embarrassing. What would they think?” My fear of looking silly or embarrassing stopped me and I continued my walk without engaging with the fun. As I continued my walk I couldn’t get the regret out of my body, and with this steppingstone in mind, I decided to turn back and try again.
The voice of fear was still there, but another was louder: “Do it! Why not? Play!” I chose a line and swirled, twirled, clapped, and jumped. A few people passed and exchanged a smile, and as I finished there was a group of people at the start, reading the instructions, now with the same choice I had. I encouraged them, saying, “Do it! It’s fun!” I could hear the group’s laughter behind me as I went on my way. I felt completely elated and embodied after a quick 30 seconds of play, practically bouncing my whole way home.
