At the risk of being yourself
Dinner with a friend last night after a neighborhood watch meeting. As a lot of my friends have encountered post-K, in or out of a relationship, and stressed – she’s not herself. Au contraire mon ami, I told her as we drank our Albarino and ate that delicious calamari that Lola’s serves – well I said it in English, but the point I tried to make is she is herself and she is going through something right now as herself.
I sent her my favorite zen dropping this morning – Wherever you are in this moment, is exactly where you are supposed to be, no matter how things may seem to appear. This morning as I was walking through City Park with Loca, a man I pass most mornings and say hello, how are you, to, replied in typical New Orlean-ese, “Fine. Yourself?”
And at the risk that myself might be too much for someone to handle – I work on toning it down a notch or two – I listen to others tell me how I should act – I try to understand mysterious dynamics that are puzzling to me – and then I come out the gate as myself time and time again. It’s a risk, but what the hell – yourself might be the best thing you bring to the table.