Today he smiled, teeth white and grin ear to ear. His clothes brown and shoes black, his smile simple, words none and body language blank. I looked twice, he continued to smile, I smiled and then wondered why? Why am I smiling, how odd it was that that one smile removed me from the mental chatter, moment of a day filled with children, parents and shoe laces, velcro too. I instantly felt gratitude for his smile and realized how it inspired me to smile. I continued this smile and immediately 3 people smiled back at me. I was still thinking about, why the man in brown smiled and then I was comforted with the thought that it was his job to smile. And then I realized as humans, yes it is our job to smile. And if we only have one job and the job is smiling our day will be occupied with this conscious and purposeful effort. People smile, children smile, babies smile, dogs smile, flowers smile, the sun, moon and earth smile, we all smile from time to time and how simple to exist unconditionally, freely and naturally with a smile. I smiled and I felt so organic about the whole thing I wanted an oval sticker for my forehead that read: ORGANIC. Thank you man in brown, Mr. UPS for the smile and changing my moment, allowing me to realize that I choose to notice what's around me in a positive way and I choose to be part of that consciously and smiling. Now I done a smile effortless and simple, really authentic and definitely organic.
On another note, not so peace and love- I was running earlier and saw from afar a large truck idling on the side of the road. Inside sat a man smoking and talking on the phone. As I got closer I read the words on the truck: Larry's Pest Control. As I moved closer my thoughts were running faster than my feet: What a creep, he is smoking and polluting the air, HE IS AN ANIMAL KILLER ( I wanted to protest), all the toxins in his truck, pesticide polluting the earth and on and on....... my heart was racing, chest tight, breathing choppy and legs cramping. I immediately realized the negativity I had created with my thoughts and how my body was instantly affected. I stopped in my tracks, took several deep breaths, let go of the negative thoughts and found gratitude for the man, the cigarette, the toxins, the truck, chanted forgiveness for myself and negative thoughts. I saw his job as worthy and purposeful making small critters non living so people could live in peace, yet still wondering which came first the mouse or the house. I sent loving kind thoughts to the man in the truck, apologized for my thoughts in hopes he would receive them- even though this all took place within me. My breathing became steady, my feet began to move, I felt calm, centered and thankful for the opportunity to have the ability to want to scream- ANIMAL KILLER to the man in the truck -and just then noticed I squashed a beetle with my running shoe. I am thankful for tolerance, for the ability to let go, for the man in the truck, to value his worthiness and see the good. I too am human with judgment and opinion that separates and divides. I am thankful to experience hatred and love, life and death, in the same moment, to be real and alive and want to shout to the world how simple and difficult it is to be organic, peace, love, real, negative, positive and forgiving.
