So, I want to do better spiritually. I want to be more mindful, and live in the present, rather than be blown every which way by ill winds and worries about disasters in national, state, and local news, which all have me a little edgy, and to be honest, a tad frazzled over the state of affairs. I don’t know how to remedy that and still stay engaged, to not give up and move to Canada, but rather stay put and fight the good fight.
(Okay, I’m angry, and being mad is so time consuming.)
Then an Episcopal friend ( a priest) sent me a copy of a column by Garrison Keillor– out of the blue it seemed– though I swear there are no coincidences, are there? Unless you choose to ignore the signs, someone keeps tapping us on the shoulder, you know?
The column is about a nice TSA lady he met in Nashville, and civility– in it he rambles around in a good way ( I am a fan of Keillor’s personal essay style of asking questions and seeking answers, usually with a story in the mix) and then he gets to the point, which I will call the hug line: “Anger is poison. Meet hostility with courtesy. Don’t spit into the wind. We’ve got to live with each other, angel cakes. Be sweet.” That doesn’t mean give up. It doesn’t mean that being nice is wimping out. It doesn’t even advise avoiding conflict and hostility– “meet hostility with courtesy”– There’s a plan I can work with, write down, and stick on the fridge. From Donald Trump to a local public meeting– I know it can only help. (And free me up to enjoy all that’s well with the world.)
