smiles

Fire-Breathing Dragons – Day 1016

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Kind of looks like a Teenage Ninja Turtle – Photo: L. Weikel

Fire-Breathing Dragons

There was a lot of cloud action going on today during my walk, from portals to Beings to fire-breathing dragons. When I first started out, I saw a distinctively rectangular shaped ‘hole’ in a massive cloud bank immediately in front of me. I stopped to photograph it because it sort of defied the look of most cloud portals (doorways into other realms). While portals are definitely not limited to simply round holes in the sky, it could be argued that classic portals are often either round holes or rectangles that resemble doorways.

Thus, the sideways rectangle that initially caught my attention felt odd. It was, one could argue, a doorway on its side. But it looked and felt different. Unique. Perhaps it was the clearly defined right angles that, for whatever reason, felt distinctive and a bit out of place.

So I decided to take a photograph of this oblong hole in the clouds. Once I did, though, I couldn’t unsee the huge face of a Cloud Being that revealed itself to me. How could I have missed the mirth-filled face smiling down upon me?

Dragon Rising! – Photo: L. Weikel

An Hour Later

Nearly an hour later, I encountered more clouds that refused to be ignored.

Hardest to ignore was a dragon with upward extended bat-like wings that caught my eye. It was clear this dragon was scorching the air with its fiery breath as it rose to gain a better vantage point over the countryside.

But when I zoomed in to take a closer photo of the head of this fire-breathing dragon, I noticed that it, too (like the giant cloud being, above), appeared to be…happy.

Laughter and smiles from the two most prominent cloud beings appearing in the sky today. With all the ominous and threatening, billowing and dangerous storm clouds and thunderheads that have been frequenting us lately, I have to admit these harbingers of happiness were an unexpected and most welcome surprise, especially given my cranky attitude at the outset of my journey.

Their smiles were contagious, both then and now. I’m grateful for the laughter I see in both.

Close-up of (laughing) fire-breathing dragon – Photo: L.Weikel

(T-95)

Kindness – Day 387

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Waterfall Along River Road – Photo: L. Weikel

Kindness

Never underestimate the power of kindness.

Especially right now.

There is so incredibly much static and discord in the air right now, it’s amazing that anything is getting accomplished by anyone. Of course, being a person who cares about politics and what’s going on in our country, I’m keenly aware of the fallout from the daily barrage of awfulness that seems to bubble out of the White House like the relentless onslaught of The Blob*.

But there are everyday worries and stresses that seem to hang like weights around people’s necks as we slide into home base that is the end of the year. Every year, most of us find ourselves thinking, “How did it get to be December again already?” And far too many people worry about how they’re going to make ends meet while trying to make these short, dark days a bit brighter for those around us.

Yet again, the power of kindness makes itself known.

Traffic Head

The past couple of days I’ve noticed how grim most people’s expressions are as they go about their day. This is especially obvious when you make a point to notice the people driving in cars all around us. The expressions on most people’s faces can be utterly dour. I call it ‘traffic head’ – in my head – because inevitably, they are caught up in their thoughts, crossing stuff of their mental lists, worrying about when they’ll fit in baking their cookies, or trying to decide the best place to put the Christmas tree this year so the cat doesn’t climb it.

I readily concede that I don’t ride around with a smile pasted on my face (which would be downright creepy, so I’d say that’s a plus). But I love catching someone’s eye as they’re driving toward or turning in front of me, or otherwise are close enough to be able to link up look-to-look, and breaking into a smile myself. I know; I’m odd. But if I can get them to smile back at me, I’ll admit it: my mood brightens palpably. It’s as if I’ve broken a spell.

 Beyond a Smile

And then there are the moments when we go beyond a smile and commit an active act of kindness.

Just as most people are unaware of the ‘resting bitch faces’ they’re exposing to the world, they’re also often oblivious to the opportunity to offer small kindnesses. For instance, I’ve seen people walk right in front of others in the grocery store, just cutting them off and not even saying a quick, “Excuse me!” (with a smile).

I’ve also stood in a grocery store line, packed to the max with my ‘up to 25 items’ carefully counted out (or even rounded down so I’ll ‘qualify’) and notice someone standing behind me with a bag of chips and an iced tea. I love offering to allow someone to go in front of me, especially when they least expect it.

A Personal Note

And then there’s the completely out-of-the-blue act of kindness that is so unexpected it keeps a smile on your fact throughout the day.

As you may have guessed, this is the situation I found myself in this morning and which prompted me to write this post.

Before heading off to my appointment, I was sitting with Karl having a quick cup of coffee and pulling cards for the day. While Karl was getting grounded and shuffling the cards, I checked my email on my phone. And that’s when I saw it – a note someone wrote to me about my blog.

This was a note from someone I’ve never met, who’s been reading my posts after stumbling onto my website. I was delighted and completely surprised.

Kindness

The fact that she took the time to actually sit down and compose an email to me was an exquisite gift of kindness. She could easily have just read my posts and moved on, not making a mark or a comment or any effort to reach out in any way. Or she could have “liked” my post or even made a brief observation about it wherever she saw it (on FB or Instagram, for instance).

But no, she went the extra mile and tracked down my email address and sent me an email. She told me a little bit about herself and expressed what she enjoys about my blog. And that – that kind attention to detail and appreciation for my dedication – put a smile on my face, a bounce in my step, and I am sure gave me an even brighter outlook with which I met with my client later that morning.

We May Never Know

And that’s what I mean about how we may never know how our acts of kindness may be the source of miracles for others.

I’m going to close this out by encouraging all of us to be aware of ourselves, our surroundings, and the creatures with whom we’re sharing space. Be it in a parking lot, a grocery line, or at a doctor’s office: see if you can coax a smile out of someone. Hold the door for someone. Let someone go in front of you in the grocery line. Offer a parking spot to someone who arrived at the one you want a few seconds later. (No. Wait. That may be taking it too far. I’d have to re-think that…)

Look for the beauty. Drop a note. Be the kindness. Never underestimate the power you have to break another out of their churning worries or lurking loneliness and help them see they’re not alone in the world. There are smiling faces. We are surrounded by kind-hearted people who want nothing from us but a momentary connection. A confirmation that we are seen.

*Fun fact I never realized until this moment: The Blob is set in the towns of Phoenixville and Downingtown, PA. I had no idea!

(T-724)

Things Are Weird Out There – Day 302

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Owl Moth

Things Are Weird Out There

I don’t know about you, but I’m finding my sense of what’s going on in the world, both on a macro-level and on a very personal, day-to-day level, to be chaotic and bordering on overwhelming.

I’m amazed, I guess, at the intensity with which we are being asked to live our lives nowadays.

I look back on my journals from 15 or 20 years ago (and even further back) and I honestly feel as though we lived in another age. And by that I mean when I read my entries and contemplate how we lived our daily lives, it feels like life back in the ‘80s and ‘90s is as foreign to us now as “Little House on the Prairie” days looked to us then.

When You Really Think About It…

We are witnessing a time in the world’s evolution that could, conceivably, make or break the entire planet. What an outrageous and outlandish concept. We’re literally and very probably fiddling around taking the smallest of steps to change our energy usage (for instance), when in a year or two, if we do not drastically change our ways in one fell swoop, we almost certainly will be facing cataclysmic, made-for-tv-movie events in our lives on a regular, probably monthly, basis.

I cannot for the life of me understand why addressing the very real, very tangible effects of climate change hinges on whether or not people ‘believe’ climate change is ‘man-made’ or not.

Regardless of ‘whose fault it is,’ it behooves all of us to LOOK. AT. IT. Doesn’t it?

Who cares whether there have been other times in the history of our planet when the atmosphere naturally warmed and caused massive sheets of ice to melt? When those things happened, it changed the course of evolution, didn’t it? And if the plants and animals living at that time could see that, if circumstances continued to unfold the way they were those plants and animals would become extinct, and if they had had the technology and awareness to stop those changes from taking place – wouldn’t they have done so?

Does it really matter whose ‘fault’ it is?

What Is Wrong With Us?

The level of immaturity and utter nonsensical thinking, when it comes to refusing to take practical steps to save our planet (and thus ourselves), defies explanation.

Every day we see the current Administration deliberately rolling back commonsense efforts to make life better here on Earth. For instance, this Administration just rolled back the banning of the sale of energy inefficient light bulbs that was to take effect at the beginning of 2020. And they also are challenging California’s efforts to implement stricter emissions standards than those rolled back by the current Administration. This flies in the face of the usual stance of the Republican party that “states rights” be given precedence over federal regulations.

Sort of Like Dumping Garbage

I guess these attitudes are akin to the people who unconsciously (or worse, deliberately and consciously) dump garbage out their car windows – be it empty cigarette packs, cigarettes themselves, or used disposable diapers.

Every day I’m speaking with friends or clients or even just people standing in line with me at the grocery story who have a strange new look in their eyes. That look is one that says, to me, “I’m starting to freak the hell out. Life as we know it has become insane.”

What to Do?

When confronted with strangers in the grocery line, I do my best to catch their eye and smile. Laugh.

We pick up the cigarette butts and empty packs of Marlboros and dirty diapers dumped along the roadside. (Luckily, dirty diapers are a rarity, but still…).

We use the energy efficient bulbs regardless of whether the old ones are still available for purchase.

I do my best to hold a vision of a United States that leads the way in finding innovative solutions to our crises.

I do my best not to lose hope.

(T-809)