A couple of weeks ago I was driving with my dog Dusty to take him on a walk by the beach. As I approached the stop sign, I noticed a car pulled over to the side and two people standing next to it. As I drove past, I felt this urge to turn around. Driving by, I noticed them again but kept driving. I did this three times and finally I stopped and asked them if they needed help.
The man looked a little frazzled and the woman kind of stern. The man, who’s name turned out to be David, told me their car broke down and a tow truck was on the way but his concern was a surfboard he had rented that needed to be returned so as not to be charged more money.
I asked what surf shop he rented it from, but he could only provide general directions. He was so out of sorts, he couldn’t provide a receipt which would give the needed information. I finally figured out where it was. I was beginning to wonder if I was doing the right thing. But I pushed that aside for the moment and put trust in his concern.
So it was decided that he and the board would come with me and his wife would wait for the tow truck which would take them to an automotive repair about a mile away. So on our way we went with the surfboard between us and Dusty on David’s lap.
He kind of went off about his wife’s car that it's always breaking down for this or that. He said they are from San Francisco visiting family in LA. My first thought was that that city is about as libertine as they get. I wonder if he is going to say anything political. Hah. And sure enough he went off on how he has never hated anyone so much as Trump with a few more descriptives. But two interesting things were happening simultaneously. One, behind my kerchief, I was smiling and chuckling to myself and two, I noticed that he was not a reactionary full of venom but a thoughtful guy who was in a painful struggle as he said the words.
Then he looked at me as if he might have made a mistake and asked if I voted for Trump. I told him I did and not to worry about his words as I told him, I’ve heard it before. For a second, I thought he might want to get out of the car. Then he changed the subject to the environment and I mentioned how we are taking many, very conscientious steps in that regard already with the point being not to tax yourself with worry or become overly fanatical.
We arrived at the surf shop and delivered the board. He didn’t have a credit card with him or the surf shop would have refunded him some money. On our way back, I suddenly turned to him and said, “David, I've known you for about fifteen minutes now. You must rid yourself of your hate. Your inner environment is more important than any outer one at this moment.”
And he agreed and went on about the negativity of his thoughts that’s making him unhappy and those of his friends who don’t seem to be bothered by it and how they are becoming not very good people.
We talked about mediation a little. As we were driving up the road, I pointed over and said that is my church. We had a metaphysical conversation for a few minutes. And then David said you know we were meant to meet like this. To have this conversation. I agreed wholeheartedly.
When we got to the auto repair shop, his wife was standing there waiting for him. He asked if I wanted any money and I emphatically said no. He said he knew I would say that and we laughed a little. Before he got out, I pulled down my kerchief, gave him a sincere smile and shook his hand.
Dusty I said, that was a very interesting exchange. “Bark, bark”, he said as we drove off to our walk.
Merry Christmas. May we remodel and decorate the cradle of our hearts and minds with the dazzling soul qualities of true Brotherhood, friendship, God awareness, kindness, forgiveness, understanding, will power, self-control, renunciation and unselfishness that we may fittingly celebrate the birth of the Divine Child.
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