Signs Around Town


I gave thanks every day for my good fortune when we were traveling. On the last drive north, we went through areas of Tamil Nadu hit by the cyclone. The privilege and good fortune of being on our well-driven bus was even more telling knowing that we were only witnessing the aftermath of the cyclone through the windows from our air-conditioned comfort. We gave to a collection to repair roof damage that would have closed for some length of time a local school. I definitely was conscious of how much more we were engaged in the situation and wanted to help because we knew (albeit not well) people who were impacted.
I paid to take a yoga workshop with Paul and Sommer Sobin back in town for their annual day after Thanksgiving workshop at Willow Street Yoga, which was just delightful. I spent the money for round trip transportation between Union Station and Silver Spring. I had lunch with friends and paid for my share of lunch: green tea salad, ginger salad, and tofu with sour mustard at Mandalay in Silver Spring. I am grateful for what Willow Street Yoga offers me and the community, for easy access to public transportation (I wish we would spend some of our defense budget on public transportation), and for a wide variety of restaurants with delicious vegetarian and vegan alternatives near to my home.
I chose to spend money today to have a refreshing and rejuvenating vacation day before teaching tomorrow and to support people whose livelihood is providing services and goods that make the community a better place to be and that enrich my own life. I express my gratitude by, in the method created by the consumer society, contributing to the livelihoods of those who will, in exchange for livelihood, provide life-enhancing services and creative gifts to the rest of us.