Some lovely quotes……………..”The privilege of a lifetime is being who you are.”………..”Find a place inside where there’s joy, and the joy will burn out the pain.”……..Love is friendship set to music.” Your sacred space is where you find yourself again and again”….all favorites and this for me is number one. “Follow your bliss and doors will open where there were no doors before.”
“When you wish upon a star. Makes no difference who you are. Anything your heart desires will come to you. If your heart is in your dream. No request is too extreme. When you wish upon a star. As dreamers do. Fate is kind. She brings to those who love. The sweet fulfillment of their Secret longing and more.” Words by Leigh Harline and Ned Washington from Disney 1940 Pinocchio. Ageless. How many of us wish upon the first star we see? How many of us emotionally experience the colors of the rainbow? We should never lose the childlike way to enjoy life. Not childish, but to see through the eyes of a happy child. Never ending joy.
There are special times when you meet someone, and immediately, there is a connection, not specifically romantic, but emotional. Perhaps from the past if spiritual enough to understand the meaning. I do. I believe everyone comes into your life for a reason, and whether family or friends, in the best positive way. Building friendships can be the foundation to your well being….and then, there are the others, and their emotional bent is like a “feather in the wind.” But, I prefer “the others.”..and for me that is the definition of love.
I needed to be certified by the State of New Jersey to serve on a domestic violence crisis intervention team. Working closely with the local police department, I spoke often with victims of emotional and physical abuse. Taught never to judge, but to ask a question in a gentle way. A very important question. “Do you think you deserve better?” If you know anyone in a situation suffering abuse, you might want to ask them or yourself. Do you think you deserve better!
Worth blogging about…article in today’s New York Times…written by Sophie Fontanel. Sunday Review. I don’t need to comment…speaks for itself and the voice of many!
Buddhist practice instills doing quiet acts of the “awakened one.” My preference is doing, not necessarily talking about, but recently had an experience I would like to share. A twitter follower asked “what’s your normal day like.” I tweeted yoga, a little chanting, and try to make a difference. Riding to Penn. Station in New York City, the charming driver from Ecuador, started the conversation. Somehow, age got in the mix. 78, with a very normal ego, not enlarged at all, it’s quite lovely to be taken for younger. Edwin was very complimentary and we started to chat. He asked me what I do in regard to food and exercise. I mentioned yoga, walking, and then for the ride to the station, proceeded to act as his new-found nutritionist. He said he sits all day, and often has diet soda, chips, and fast food. By the way, instead of loud music, a classical radio station was on. I complimented him on his choice, and smiling told him Tchaikovsky Winter Daydream was playing and it was over 100 degrees outside. He told me he plays the station for his favorite customers. Since I was a first timer, I was flattered. So, on to a quick nutrition lesson with the time allowed. I told him I eat close to a cup of mixed nuts daily. Walnuts, almonds, filberts, and pecans…never putting weight on, and of course fruits and veggies. He was repeating everything I said and planned on writing it all down. I steered him away from fast foods and suggested he keep a little bag of nuts and cut up colorful veggies for snacks. He interjected “what about raisins, and before I was able to say “just a few,” he quickly interjected, “maybe not, because of the sugar.” He was a quick learner, having earlier told him about the perils of soda, diet soda, sugar, bad fat, and too much salt, and white flour. We quickly became food friends. A difference was made Thursday morning. A quote from a past blog….”when the student is ready, the teacher appears.” We arrived at the station, and as I left he said, “salads are good right?” and then added “but guess not too much dressing.” A+ I told him and we said goodbye to each other. A lovely beginning to my day.
I rarely fly business class, my traveling to California is on Jetblue. Taking the train to Richmond Virginia, I usually go business, with more leg room and less aromas. The senior upgrade not costing that much more. When I boarded, the train was half full, with many empty seats. I sat by the window, and spread out my things on the aisle seat with my luggage directly in front. My suitcase is quite heavy. The conductor would have been more than happy to put up on the rack….but I know too well, the feeling of desertion, looking around for someone to take down at my destination. So there I was, all comfy. cozy, and settled in for the six hour ride. Four hours later, a rather unsmiling, unpleasant woman asked to sit in the aisle seat, and would I move my things! I, of course, immediately started to move everything, and thought it unnecessary for her to ask me to move all, when she had to notice I was doing just that, before she asked. Now, everything was moved to my side, with my luggage directly in front of my paid for extra leg room. She had absolutely no reaction to my glancing at all the empty seats surrounding us, including the aisle directly across from mine. I reluctantly thought of a little plan, my comfort level winning over my reluctance. I cough at times, due to allergies, but I gave an Oscar winning performance in the coughing, blowing my nose category. A sneeze wasn’t forthcoming, but the acting out cold symptoms won. The unpleasant germaphobe, left for parts unknown within a few minutes without a word. I immediately moved back to my aisle, shoving all my stuff back to the window seat and floor. Less than five minutes later, a very large woman fell right in my lap, grazing my ear. Fortunately, she wasn’t hurt, nor was I…except perhaps a slightly bruised karma for the impromptu performance I gave. The fallen woman got up with a sweet smile and lovely apology, I wanted to tell her that I would rather have her fall on me, than an unpleasant one sit next to me. The next two hours flew by without any problems.
These are my tools to use in some situations. I don’t want to play the numbers, but you shouldn’t be my age, without having some good methods of dealing with life. Not coming from anger ,but developed survivor strength. One I read and one my words. Coming from a gentle place, and thought I would pass on. “Acting out of self interest to protect one’s self is not a dominant force, since you can still be sensitive to the feelings of others.” This of course, does not pertain to those that you have let go of. That is a slow process, but worth the investment of your time….and the other, in a gentle voice to yourself, if you don’t care, I care less. Perhaps it sounds harsh, but isn’t from my perception….and then when all else fails, a few choice vulgarities to yourself, always seems to do the trick.
We have our own methods of dealing, and if it’s a positive approach, not negative…whatever works!!!
In todays New York Times letters to the editor, there were many who felt the criminal justice system didn’t work, starting with the jury selection. African-Americans make up 11.8 percent of the population of Seminole County, but not one single one selected for the jury. A letter written by Tim Lehnert . “The racial dimensions of the Trayvon Martin case have been explored at length. What is rarely mentioned is what is most obvious about this tragic incident. George Zimmerman was walking around a common area (not his own personal property} with a loaded handgun when he confronted Mr. Martin. This is legal in Florida. A citizen “on patrol” should be armed with a cellphone and nothing more. Had this been the case, Mr. Martin would be alive. End of story.”
“There is a higher court than courts of justice, and that is the court of conscience. It supersedes all other courts.” Mahatma Gandhi
mother nature is a man and other observations.. 
Recent Comments