Signs Around Town

It is easy enough, on reading the news and experiencing some of the challenges of living, to get anxious or depressed. It is also possible to think with gratitude of what is good in my own life.

Thank you to all my friends who share with me and help remind me of all that for which I am grateful.

Today I am practicing gratitude that the final death throes of my 31-year old washer-dryer simply means having to go through the expense and annoyance of getting a replacement.

The other morning, Facebook put into my feed the answer given by a one of the many yoga teachers among my friends to the question, “what is the first thing you do in the morning?” The answer was “meditate.”

Besides again wondering why people answer these questions and why Facebook would put this in my feed, I questioned in my head, “really?”

I empty my bladder, feed the cat, make the bed, brush my teeth, drink some hot water, and move and stretch a little before sitting down to meditate.

And when I do sit, I first do a body scan and 5-10 minutes of pranayama. I cannot imagine sitting before meditation without most of that except in unusual circumstances.

My morning meditation is, though, before I start engaging in projects or eating breakfast or leaving the house.

What do you do first thing in the morning?

When do you meditate?

As I was finishing my lunch today, my server came over to see if I wanted dessert or something hot to drink. I declined, but she chatted with me a little. I had made a reservation for two, but ended up eating by myself, and she took the time to be friendly. “I didn’t think to bring my journal,” I said, “though I did have the Blackberry to blog.”

“I always have a couple of magazines with me, but at least you are near the kitchen and can enjoy watching the food come out,” she added.

“It’s my favorite spot. I always ask for this table,” I replied.

“Some diners don’t like it. One diner posted a review on ‘Yelp’ saying that the food was good, but complained that they always stuck him near the kitchen.”

“Not me. It is so much fun to look at all the possibilities and expand the feast with the eyes.”

As I was eating, I had felt a minor trepidation because I thought of myself as sitting at a plum table. The restaurant was crowded, and I knew that by ordering only a salad entree, the server was not getting the tip on a table for two (a table that I never would have gotten with a reservation for one).

I was sad my friend could not join me. We get together about once a month to catch up and to eat good food, and we always enjoy our lunches. After I was already sitting down at the table, I had gotten a message that she had gotten off the metro and was heading to the restaurant when her firm had called her back to the office to handle an emergency.

As I was already seated and had water poured, I decided to stay and eat. Two trains of thought while I was eating stayed at the forefront.

Though the food was lovely and I affirmatively like dining in solitude, it was not quite as tasty eating alone than sharing with someone who likes to share and discuss the food when that was what I had been expecting.

More important, though I was bummed, missing the opportunity to swap stories and enjoy the company of my friend, I was incredibly grateful that this was my big disappointment for the week. I am sure it was harder for my friend than for me. I was still getting a break and a nice meal. She was dealing with an emergency of some sort and also disappointed not to have our treat of the monthly lunch. I am sure she is, too, keenly aware that her disappointment and the emergency she was addressing were small compared to the suffering that so many millions of individuals face each day.

I left lunch with my appetite sated, my tastebuds replete, and my resolve firm both to savor everything more deeply and to try to live in a way that spreads more joy and alleviates suffering.

And I left a big tip to thank the server for being kind and sent proposed dates to my friend to reschedule.

Peace and light, E — Posted with WordPress for BlackBerry.