I'm wedged in the door frame. My knees butt up against the screen and my back presses the open door. My ankles grind into the hard stone tile just to get a bit of internet. It's almost five in the evening here and still hot. Jesse and Emmanuelle sleep off lunch and in the next room and I chew a Halls and try and write something down. There's something about being far away (physically) that coaxes me to write more than just words for entertainment's sake. What am I doing here? One might ask. To tell you the truth, I'm not really sure. Most days I'm not sure of truth, so all I have are the facts and my faith in the divine dance of life. Oh geeze what the hell does that mean, Shinay? Not another rant about G-O-D. Something's happened to me, when I'm in India (or maybe it's just easier here) I feel that there is no separation between dhal and god, or coconut juice and god, or smiles and god.
A few great metaphors for today:
First, driving in India. The Indian are terrible at backing up. At first I was like, What the hell guys, what is your deal? Then I realized that it is only my responsibility to pay attention to what is in front of me. The Indians automatically assume that if they are in front of you and they stop, it's your problem to go around them, or stop. Likewise, when I'm walking down the road (literally in the middle of the roam because sidewalks here are a joke) all I have to worry about is what's right in front of me going forward. No need to turn around when I slow down or change directions; that's their problem.
Second, (again walking down the street) I was in front of my friend, Emmanuelle, and we were just walking along going someplace and I didn't know where we were going, but trusted that she'd tell me if I was going in the wrong direction. But something inside of me made me turn around and ask, "Am I going the right way?" She smiled and nodded and said, "Yup! And that's a great metaphor for Divine Influence. We have to trust that if we're headed in the wrong direction, we'll be told (in one way or another) and corrected back in the right direction." Wow, that's a good one to remember.
We hopped in a jitney back home. Grabbed a cold Pepsi and walked the rest of the way down the road sipping our cold drink. The noise from the street and a crow sharpening his beat on the railing outside brings me back to the present.
Remembering to be present.
A few great metaphors for today:
First, driving in India. The Indian are terrible at backing up. At first I was like, What the hell guys, what is your deal? Then I realized that it is only my responsibility to pay attention to what is in front of me. The Indians automatically assume that if they are in front of you and they stop, it's your problem to go around them, or stop. Likewise, when I'm walking down the road (literally in the middle of the roam because sidewalks here are a joke) all I have to worry about is what's right in front of me going forward. No need to turn around when I slow down or change directions; that's their problem.
Second, (again walking down the street) I was in front of my friend, Emmanuelle, and we were just walking along going someplace and I didn't know where we were going, but trusted that she'd tell me if I was going in the wrong direction. But something inside of me made me turn around and ask, "Am I going the right way?" She smiled and nodded and said, "Yup! And that's a great metaphor for Divine Influence. We have to trust that if we're headed in the wrong direction, we'll be told (in one way or another) and corrected back in the right direction." Wow, that's a good one to remember.
We hopped in a jitney back home. Grabbed a cold Pepsi and walked the rest of the way down the road sipping our cold drink. The noise from the street and a crow sharpening his beat on the railing outside brings me back to the present.
Remembering to be present.
