Tuesday, July 1, 2008

Welcome to July...


Today was a beautiful day. Not for any particular reason, it was just beautiful. While I was working at the ballet, I got a great opportunity to make a trip to the Symphony office. You see, the Creamery houses LOTS of cool things like the Springfield Opera, Symphony, Ballet, and lots of other neat artsy stuff. I've seen writing workshops, jazz rehearsals, there is always a great art exhibit in the foyer, and there are lots of classrooms for people to paint or draw in. It's got great energy.

Anywho, the copier broke down in the main office, so I had to trek over to the symphony's office to use their machine. While I was making copies (which took a little over two hours - 1500 double sided prints), I met some really lovely people. The symphony conductor, his wife and kids, an intern (who was an old friend), and some other lovely employees.

I was just sitting there doing my Sudoku when a nice lady with a New Zealand accent asked, "Are you doing okay? Do you need anything?" I was in an office, so I was expecting that question to really mean, "Are you waiting for someone or something? Do you need something from me?" so my response was, "No, ma'am. I'm just making copies and doing puzzles." To which she responded, "Yeah, but are you alright? Would you like a soda or something to snack on?"

Wait, wait, wait. There are people out there who are genuinely interested in the welfare of others without any prompt or motivation? It was a really simple gesture, but it floored me. Hooray for this woman. May she continue to brighten the lives of those she encounters.

Later, I had ballet. I've only been dancing for about four months and I'm already dancing in the intermediate/advance class. Basically what that means is I make a fool of myself and am pushed to my limits every day. It's very humbling, and sooo much fun! It's a great exercise in self-discipline, control, and the power of positive thinking.

Anyway, today I was dancing on the floor watching myself do a combination in the mirror and I realized something: I wasn't really dancing. I was controlling the guy I saw in the mirror. When I refocused on myself, my body, and what was going on with me instead of what was happening in the mirror, my actions became more fluid and I was enjoying myself a lot more. It got me thinking...

How often in life are we focusing on the mirrors? How often are we paying attention to perceptions and what others think of us instead of what's actually going on with ourselves in the first person? Maybe we should all try to clear out the misconceptions, delusions, and projections of "ourselves" and bring the attention back to what's really going on inside. Maybe life would be a lot easier and more meaningful. It's worth a shot, isn't it?

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