Enjoying Diana Nyad's interview with Oprah Winfrey on Super Soul Sunday highlighted a universal truth. Diana Nyad, a swimming, Amazon warrior, who in 1975 swam around Manhattan (28 mi or 45 km) and in 1979 swam from North Bimini, The Bahamas, to Juno Beach, Florida (102 mi (164 km) stunned the world In 2013 during her fifth attempt to became the first person known to swim from Cuba to Florida without the aid of a shark tank, swimming from Havana to Key West (110 mi or 180 km) for 53 hours at age 64!
In recounting her story she told Oprah her mantra for 2013 had been "find a way ..." There is a path, a way, in all things.
Last night, basking in the wonder of my latest spiritual zenith, my neighbor called. Ordinarily, he is a simple man living a peaceful life, lovingly. Caught up, are all us neighbors in a sorry feud over land boundaries - on one side are the relatives of my peaceful neighbor and on the other, my landlord, whose flats and tenants with cars that require park areas has after years of animus found its way into a courtroom.
Yesterday, a new tenant moved in. The usual process of a moving truck and hours of packing out then in lasted all day. The call came at dusk. My neighbor on his usual stroll into our small town in the mountains above the heated city had observed the new neighbor's car parked in a position that could impede vehicles headed to his family's compound. My first clueless response had been, 'yes, he moved in today. I am sure the car will be moved when he is through. Give him some time to organize.'
Imagining this to be a simple exchange based on a reasonable observation, I was surprised at the apparent annoyance of this peaceful man, who had already woven a sweep of negative scenarios likely to be inspired by that inconveniently parked car. My naive attempts to assure him that our new neighbor would park his car in the designated area as soon as he could served only to embolden his predictions of doom. My neighbor was not deterred. His voice, laden with frustration and apparent rejection of my assurances that the issue was inconsequential, began to lament - that rules exist to keep people in line, life is not as simple as I think it is, people are unreasonable, he hopes the owner does intend to move the car.
I had suggested to him that he had had the choice in that moment to introduce himself to his new neighbor and in a friendly manner welcome him to the area and explain that the position of his car may impede the movement of others and as soon as possible to move his car. He was surprised at my preposterous suggestion and told me that that was not his role. Well neither was it mine ... but imagine how this simple situation could have been transformed positively, if only in the mind of one man, my neighbor.
In a moment, we can chose to recognize a fellow human at the end of what is usually a stressful day for anyone who sets out to move their earthly possessions from one holding place to another, to approach them, not in division and annoyance, but in a helpful and human way. We have the choice to believe the best outcomes in all scenarios. We can chose to empathize with another who is at the end of a long day and not be focused on our personal frustration because our path was not clear. And most of all, to not distort our loving kindness towards a stranger because we perceive others in this life to be mischievous entities bent on inconveniencing us - that may be far from the truth. Give truth a chance.
Find a way ... to positively resolve scenarios in human relationships. We have the choice to tell ourselves a happy version and not assume the worse. It is a choice.
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