And ready to leap like a mad March hare.
With back-to-back winter storms behind us, the first tease of warmer air can make us restless—energized and ready to bounce into spring like a mad March hare.
But last month, I did the opposite. February forced me into stillness. An unexpected emergency eye surgery meant days lying face down—no screens, no reading, no distractions. No nothing. A digital detox, not by choice. Time for healing. Time for quiet. Time for looking inward.
At first, the stillness felt confronting. Then it became meditative. With no external input, my mind had space to expand. Thoughts unraveled. Imagination took over. In a strange way, doing nothing became its own practice.
When I was finally able to read and tune back into the world, curiosity got the better of me. I wanted to understand the experience I’d just lived through. I learned that Gen Z has a term for this kind of stripped-back experience: “raw dogging” the act of doing something—long flights, daily routines, ordinary tasks— without entertainment or distraction, simply sitting with it in its raw, unfiltered form. Not the meaning another generation might assume. No headphones. No scrolling. No caffeine crutch. Apparently, I had jumped from Gen X to Gen Z overnight.
This March, I am stepping forward with renewed clarity and energy. Grateful for the forced pause. Thankful not only for my vision returning—but for the perspective that came with it. Sometimes stillness is the challenge. And sometimes, after the quiet, we’re finally ready to leap—like a mad March hare.
Photo credit: Andy Pinaria