6March2010
How We Shape Our World
Posted by Robin Easton under: Hobnobbin' with Robin.
A True Story
(Told in present tense, but happened many years ago.)
I’m standing in a checkout line at a large supermarket. There are three people ahead of me. The elder woman ringing up produce looks stricken with grief, at the brink of tears, and yet keeps scanning item after item. Everyone pretends not to notice as they busily dive into their wallets, trying to hide.
Suddenly the man in front of me drops a bag of bread from his cart and doesn’t notice. I pick it up and say, “Here’s your bread. It fell on the floor.” He doesn’t reply. Puzzled, I tap him on the shoulder and tell him again. He looks confused and his dark brown eyes fixate on my face. I shyly look away because he’s beautifully handsome. Suddenly he tugs on my arm, pulling me back to his face. He points to his ears and mouth and shakes his head, “No”.
He can’t speak or hear. As I tell him that I understand, he tugs my arm, smiles warmly and points to my mouth and then to his eyes. I must face him so he can read my lips. His smile is innocently open and disarming. My heart flip flops. He’s oblivious to his charm. In fact, I sense he’s suffered greatly in his life and it wouldn’t occur to him that he might be handsome.
He puts his bread on the counter, notices the checkout woman’s tears and looks back at me, his eyes filled with concern. He wants to comfort her, but can’t get her attention. She is busy fighting for self control. As the beautiful man bags his own groceries tears fill his eyes and cling to his lashes. He can’t speak or hear, but his eyes pierce the distance between us, and I hear his heart’s cry as if it were my own. I point to myself, and mouth the words, “I will.” He eagerly shakes his head up and down, “Yes”, and smiles, deeply grateful. In the moment of his smile, time seems to slow. The crying woman, the tender man and myself suddenly are drawn into a world of our own, like precious figures in a tiny snow globe. Magical beings who have never met are about to collide in a moment of divine grace. I’m now right in front of the crying woman.
A tall, angry, well dressed man, just behind me, suddenly shouts, “Look, I’m in a hurry. Can’t this line go any faster. I have things to do today.” The glamorous woman in front of him sighs dramatically, rolls her eyes, and says, “Yeah, and I have a lunch date. Do your crying on your own time.” People press in behind me angry and impatient. The deaf man has almost finished bagging his groceries. Love’s in front of me, anger’s behind. What do I do?
Moments like these are special because we can shape the outcome. I reach on top of the cash register, grab the “CLOSED” sign and firmly slap it on the counter. I turn to the people behind me and calmly say, “This line is now closed.” The angry man says, “You can’t do that. I’ve waited here ten minutes.” I say, “There are four checkouts just over there and two of them are empty. Run quick; you’ll be the first in line.”
Surprisingly they all race to be first at the other checkouts. The crying woman keeps scanning my groceries. The beautiful man slowly gathers his bags, lingers, watches me, his eyes huge with amazement, tears run down his cheeks, and his smile lights up the whole world. I pay for my groceries, and as the grieving woman passes me my change I grip her hand and invite her to look at me. I step behind the counter, wrap my arms around her shoulders and let her sob. “It’s all right. You’re not alone.”
I cry, she cries, and the beautiful man cries. The woman lifts shock-filled eyes to mine and says, “My grandson was killed yesterday and my husband is dying of cancer. I have to work; we need the money for hospital bills. I’m sorry I’m crying.” I take her hand and say, “You don’t ever have to apologize for crying.” The beautiful man leans down, tries to read our lips, tears drip from his face onto my hand. I reach out, put an arm around him, look straight into his eyes and say “Thank you. You are beautiful.” He starts to sob, fumbles for his bags and heads crying out of the store. The whole time he keeps turning back to give me the thumbs up sign, and all the while he pours sunshine from his luminous smile and brilliant heart. I never saw him again, but I will always love him. I went back a few times to visit the woman who lost her little grandchild and eventually her husband. And then I never saw her again, but I will always love her. We were all healed that day because we each chose to shape our world.
How do you shape your world?
Do you trust your impulses and act on them?
Do you make choices that allow you to express your humanity?
How naked in Eden do you dare be?
Love,
Robin
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Website: http://www.nakedineden.com
Blog:http://nakedineden.com/nakedinedenblog/
