Wednesday, December 26, 2007

On Seeing Through a Blind Man

Last Saturday while I was at work, the tension of the day was starting to get to me. It was a day filled with total pandemonium.

(which is typical in any retail store, three days before Christmas)

Shoppers in a panic and hurry to get those last minute gifts; Not enough help at the cash registers to ring sales, so the lines are getting longer and longer, as the customers’ patience is getting shorter and shorter; No more BIG shopping bags left; No tissue paper left; No gift wrap left; Tired children, screaming and crying to get out of the over-heated store; Everybody’s cell phones ringing at the same time; Sales associates snapping at one another, because their feet hurt and they haven’t had a dinner break.

On, and on, and on……

I myself, started to get a shitty attitude. And when I get this way, I have to be VERY careful of my mouth, because I can be quite direct and blunt.

So, in order to NOT turn into the “Tasmanian Devil“…I found myself a nice quite corner, to regroup myself for a few minutes.

I suddenly felt sad. Sad for all this “man-made tension” that is associated with this holiday. And sad, because I was allowing myself to get sucked into the momentum of it.

I needed a good SLAP in my consciousness.

Just then, out of the corner of my right eye, I noticed two figures walking into the store from the street entrance.

It was a little girl (no more than 6 years old), and a blind man using a walking stick.

I don’t even know if they were related or not, and it really didn’t matter, because the “energy” that was between the two of them…WAS related.

She was slowly and gently guiding him through the crowded store, like a watchful angel.

Her tiny hand, was tenderly hold his large left hand, as his right hand used the walking stick.

Not a single word was spoken between the two of them; however, what I WAS hearing…was the tremendous volume of LOVE that emanated from them.

It was as if I was watching two different films, moving at completely different speeds.

As the chaos of the store, moved at a manic speed…they moved, as if nothing else mattered, except for the moment they were sharing with one another.

I couldn't take my eyes off them - and I watched, until they gradually moved out of my sight.

I smiled and thought to myself, “There you go, Ron…a good SLAP in your consciousness. Now take "that"...and allow it to walk you through the rest of your day.”




Photo: Cayusa