Have you noticed the pink magnolias, the yellow forsythias (green leaves quickly grow in and take over), the crocuses, and the daffodils blooming before your eyes? They are popping up everywhere in New York City and elsewhere, creating a vision of beauty. Are you enjoying the longer daylight hours? Glorious spring is catching up to us, and we deserve it! Winter was quite a challenge of volatile weather fluctuations.
As I jot down these thoughts, my upstairs neighbor is playing a delightful piano tune depicting the gaiety of this season…and now “Stranger In Paradise,” which reminds me of loves lost. I am nostalgic…such a ham I am, gushing with sentiment…
My associations go to Sam I AM, one of my favorite characters (Dr. Seuss)…and now the Cookie Monster, who is adorable in this sad and glad video. I’ve included the link for ‘breaking the Internet.’ They make megiggle…
Are you wondering where I am going with this? Sad…Glad…Fluctuation… Breaking…These remind me of the daily challenges we face even at the most joyous times, in the most beautiful places.
A few weeks ago, coming out of a major department store you all know, I set off the security beeper. Two sweethearts – millennial age – approached me, seemingly out of nowhere, to inspect my purchase, and to detect the cause of this short high noise. I wasn’t happy. My day had been challenging and in retrospect, I wonder if my rushed, impatient energy set off the device. Remember we are broadcast journalists who send out our vibe everywhere!
After several attempts, the cause of the ‘beep’ could not be found, which led the young man to look at my attractive, 2-year-old leather jacket. “Had I been in the fitting room,” he asked? I zipped open the jacket, wanting to show that I was not hiding merchandise, thinking this was an accusation. He reached to touch the tag under my left arm with a dexterity that surprised me. Now, I realize that I probably over reacted, but I was mad at this point. “This is an old jacket,” I said crabbily – eyeball to eyeball with this guy who is young enough to be my son. Sensing my testiness, he sort of backed off, and even though I continued to cause the sound machine to blare, they ‘let me go.’
Well, as you can tell, I failed the compassion test: You know, my reacting with calmness and serenity amidst chaos or provocation – the stuff I write about on this site! By looking at myself in the mirror (remember Merlin?) my task is to shift this current response to one of humor, or another kind of resilience. In trying to review my reaction, I re-played the reel to remember I felt sad like the Cookie Monster, but reacted with mad because I was accused of something that is not in my repertoire.
Obviously, I have more work to do here… Some experiences are more challenging; even in spring…La.de.da.da…Off I go to appreciate the weather…
Speak to you on May 11th. Enjoy the delight of spring…
Linda
#SamIAm #CookieMonster #gladandsad #breakingtheInternet #shoplifting #mad #failingthecompassiontest #CompassionInMyOwnWords #millennials #giggle
