This weekend I went to go see my parents. My stepdad underwent a very painful health procedure so I went to go see how he was doing and to help my mom out a bit. It is a 3 hour drive to their house which I usually spend listening to music from my IPOD, listening to books on CD or just enjoying contemplative mind meanderings.
Forty five minutes away from their house I decided to turn off the music and the book and just think about a story I saw on Good Morning America on the extraordinary way the Japanese people have been handling their nation’s disasters. Diane Sawyer was reporting from Japan on the admirable grace the Japanese people have shown in this time of uncertainty and loss.
The government announced rolling blackouts to avoid a total black out of the power system….but it turns out they didn’t have to. The people, on their own accord, started using energy only when absolutely necessary.
People in shelters not only kept their surroundings neat and clean, but organized their trash into orderly sections of recyclables.
They have had no looting, or fighting.... and people (even the children) are well behaved and organized when standing in lines for hours just to get the basic necessities.
As I was driving and thinking about all this, it made me realize I want to be that type of person. I want to show THAT kind of strength and serenity in the face of loss and grief. I was thinking of how much we can learn from the venerable way these people are facing the ambiguity of their future.
I CAN be like that ....I told myself. I CAN be that graceful and strong. I CAN show that type of steel in my character and kindness toward my fellow man in times of adversity……
Then this happened….
A huge fast moving truck coming towards me on the highway seemed to almost push my car off the road and could have possibly caused it to toppled it over with the wind gust it produced!
….and this is how I handled it.
‘YOU STUPID PIECE OF SHIIT MOTHER TRUCKER! YOU FREAKING MORON WTF ARE YOU THINKING!’ (Screaming this to the truck driver and scaring my baby dogs!!)
Okay….maybe I CAN’T be as Japanese as I thought I could.
3 comments:
Friend!!! friend!!! are you there??? WHAT were you thinking?? (well obviously you weren't) there 1 element you need for that and that is, "patience" we don't have it!!!!!! that's why we're BFF's..... come back to me friend, don't go to the light!!!!!!
It is so sexy to hear you talk like that. hahahaha
If you don't think some of those Japanese weren't cussing right after the crisis...
Give it time and patience.
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