Sunday (non) Sense 12-21-14 I’d Rather Be Fishing If your life had a customized bumper sticker what would it say? Are you able to sum up your disposition, your outlook and your beliefs in a simple phrase? If you could, how would you remember that mission statement? The world and the crazy roadways would be wonderful if people lived up to the sayings they paste onto the back of their cars. The other day I was attempting to turn right out of a parking lot onto a busy street. There was lineup waiting at a red light and a couple of those cars were blocking the driveway where I sat. I looked at a woman who had the ability to pause for a moment and let me make my way in. I smiled asking her to please oblige. I was pretty darned surprised when she looked me in the eye and mouthed, “no.” As luck would have it the person in front of HER moved up slightly allowing me to wiggle onto the road at which point the impolite woman offered up the time-honored gesture of disapproval in the form of the use of her middle finger. My daughter and I found it amusing to tell the truth because we were all crawling along at a snail’s pace anyway and this woman was churning and burning in her seat. Eventually she passed us and was weaving in and out of traffic only to end up stopped right beside us at, of course, a red light. As the light changed and this Crabby Patty made her way past the green I caught a glimpse of a sticker on the back of her car. It said, “radiate happiness.” I may not have the appropriate word to describe exactly what she radiated but it surely wasn’t happiness! I often see people with stickers on the backs of their vehicles professing their love for a higher power while they are the first to cut off a person trying to switch lanes on the freeway or zip into a parking space someone else has obviously been waiting for. On one particular day I was in traffic near a car that boasted a bumper sticker that read, “my religion is love.” Behind the wheel was a man who had one of the most profoundly furrowed brows and a frown that seemed to be almost embossed onto his face. If his religion is love, I suggest he hasn’t been to his house of worship very often lately. Then there’s the mother screaming at her children while the sticker on the back of her SUV says, “children are gifts from God and should be praised every day.” Call me crazy but I don’t think those kids were feeling very cherished in that moment. We all have bad days. We all lose our patience and we all forget to take in those deep breaths and fully exhale. What kind of reminders do we need to live up to our own mantras? Imagine how much safer the roads would be if the woman whose bumper sticker reads, “hang up and drive,” actually focused her attention on what is in front of her. If the man with the sticker that says, “life is short, take it easy,” really did drive only the speed the limit and always proceeded with caution at a four-way-stop he would arrive at his destination steeped in calm instead of agitation. This time of year I tend to see extremes. Many people are in joy-filled frames of mind, happy to be preparing for the holidays. Sadly, though, there seems to be just as many on the flip side of that coin, dreading instead of embracing the flurry of activity, the celebratory gatherings and the exchanging not only of gifts but of smiles that go along with the stories of the year. This is a potentially stress-filled time of year. In reality though what time of year doesn’t have that potential? It’s all in the way we view each encounter. What bumper sticker saying will guide you through in bliss-filled fashion? Would it be, “peace through music?” Perhaps each time the feeling of stress and being overwhelmed kicks in, turning up a Beatles album will be just the tonic to tame the beast. Maybe a coexist sticker with the letters created out of various symbols for peace would be a “gentle” reminder to stay calm at the holiday supper table even when the conversation turns to a grilling about your love life (or, perhaps, lack thereof). Instead of getting irritated each time the query about when or if you’ll ever get married is passed across the table, this sticker might be a quiet reminder that it’s sometimes best to just pause and smile instead of flinging a spoonful of those mashed potatoes back across the dining room. Believe it or not I’ve actually never put a bumper sticker on my car. If I did, though, I think it would have to say, “looking forward.” This might seem odd to have a statement about what’s ahead festooning that which is behind. I’m sticking with it though. Whether on the roads or more generically in life there is so much reason to look ahead. I hope to embrace the present and soak up all it has to offer. I also, though, am excited about what is coming next. Through this holiday season, into the New Year and so much further still I pray that you have cause for looking forward. When the moment is seemingly perfect and you never want it to end, there’s the possibility of still more magic in the next instant. When times are trying and it feels as though the tension and hardship will not come to a stop, there’s always a possibility of a prism of light in the exact next moment. May the season be beautiful. May your family be safe. May your time be filled with peace, joy and so much love that in looking forward you can hardly imagine a greater bounty ahead…yet here it comes. {If you’ve missed a Sunday (non) Sense or want to revisit one, they’re all waiting for you at alisazee
Posted on: Sun, 21 Dec 2014 13:43:13 +0000