I used to rifle through the dictionary daily, hunting for a new, exciting word to learn. Now, I find myself grappling with old ones trying to decipher what they mean.

Example: progress n improvement, development; movement forward.

Oh yes, that’s what that word means. Please forgive me, I get a little confused whenever I hear politicians waxing rhetorically about economic progress, yet most people still can’t afford to buy a home.

Then, God bless me, I get slightly puzzled whenever I think of the money squandered in human resources yet bullying is still rife in the workplace.

But what really throws me is when I ring our national ‘telecom’ company looking for Customer Service and they put me on hold after they’ve transferred me through to ninety other departments. Sorry, could someone tell me what the word ‘progress’ means again? I seem to have become a little confused.

I ask you. Are we really better off now than in days of yore? I wouldn’t dare deliberate on how things were in the bygone days because I wasn’t there, but I can use my imagination. I’m using it and I’m flinching at the idea of children being starved of hugs like so many people in my father’s generation.

Nowadays, hugs come with a lorry load of play stations as it trundles down Compensation City. ‘I didn’t get it when I was young so why shouldn’t they have it?’ It may be what they want but it isn’t what they need. Children need balance. We need to learn balance. But how can we? We don’t even know how to stay still.

There was a power cut in my area recently which caused mass hysteria. People panicked at the idea of having no TV or mobile phone charger. What are we going to do if the power isn’t back on after an hour?

More worryingly, what if we run out of things to say and, God forbid, there’s a silence? There were silences and it was precious. Those who couldn’t handle it filled in the gaps talking about the ‘practical’ people who owned generators.

It’s truly terrible when we start hyperventilating because there’s no background noise to quell the silence. This is modern society. This is what they call progress. Our lives have become so mixed-up and maxed-out with technology and quick fixes; we feel we’re permanently wired to the moon.

I put both hands up. It took a car crash before I discovered the power of stillness. Initially I went to Mark Cleary (practitioner in meditation and healing) to get a few bones re-aligned, but after each session I realised there were other ‘deeper’ parts being healed in the process.

In one thirty-minute session, I was able to stay quiet for more than five minutes, my mind was able to clear itself of all past regrets and future wants and for the first time since I was born, I learned to breathe properly. I had never felt so alive and well doing absolutely nothing.

In an effort to sustain Modern Society, we’d do well to cherish the gift of simple living.
Mark Cleary lives in Ballyfermot. He has studied and practised in the areas of Active Balance and Amatsu (Japanese Healing). As well as working fulltime as a healing practitioner, he currently runs Meditation and Healing workshops.

If you are interested in exploring potential healing abilities, learning the art of Stillness or working with energy through meditation contact Mark on (01) 6266535/087 9216100.
Places are limited.