There’s a really nice woman with one eye who hangs out by my local dollar store. She wears Carhartt’s and is at the same time edgy looking and beautiful, like an actress portraying a mechanic in a 70’s B-flick. Every once in a while, she’ll find a piece of cardboard and write “anything you can spare is greatly appreciated. God bless.” and then stand by the lone exit that leads onto the highway.
This scares the shit out of people…
As I was driving by the other day a big burly man in a little white ford pulled up to the stop sign that the homeless lady was standing at, did not look side to side (otherwise he may have had to look her in the eye), and then just floored it, nearly killing all three of us in the process.
What are people so fearful of?
This is just a lady who at this moment in life needs a few extra dollars. She might need a pack of camels or a pocket of Ezra or whatever. Who cares? Regardless, in this moment, the sister just needs a few extra bucks.
Why is that scary? Either you got some change or you don’t, ain’t nobody dying here.
Yet, this big burly dude (I’ve also seen cute little ladies do this) are running semis off the road to not have to sit at that stop sign for more than two MISSISSIPPI’s…
Why are we so fearful?
Is it because our minds start creating stories in our heads that are based upon everything that we have experienced up to this moment in our life? Including books, documentaries, horror flicks, sci-fi films, all those rabbit-holes of YouTube videos, every conversation you’ve ever had with your mom, dad, preacher, and teacher… every… thing…
It is from this experience that your mind pulls together and creates stories. Such as…
“I don’t trust that lady…” (based upon watching Fight Club ten years ago)
“I bet she’s on drugs…” (based upon a conversation with your aunt Helen when you were 13 years old)
“Lock the doors bunnie…” (based upon watching “Escape from New York” in 2nd grade)
“Where does she get the nerve…?” (based upon reading Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious a few years ago)
“She’s wearing nicer Carhartt’s than I am…” (based upon your ego)
The voice in our head spouts these things out as if they were reality. Our mind then creates a movie that matches the voice perfectly. Just as when we’re sound asleep in bed at night and we experience ourselves being chased by a dog (or maybe a dinosaur if you just finished watching Jurassic Park), you don’t know that this experience is dreaming. In this moment, it is reality!
The movie with the homeless lady begins with a mental “I bet she’s on drugs”. It then spirals out of control until suddenly you find yourself under a strange bridge being taken advantage of by an army of homeless thespians!
This only happens in our heads, but we experience it as reality.
That’s why we’re so fearful. Maybe…
If we are totally in the moment and aware, we will not create such stories in our heads. Things will just be as they are.
Instead of a horror flick of a scene, you’d simply see a beautiful being who needs a little help in this moment. That’s all.
So the next time you roll up to that stop sign of life, just be here. Fully. Pull up to that beautiful one-eyed lady and feel what happens in your body. Be interested in this. Stop right next to her and roll down your passenger side window and say “Hello. I don’t have any change today, but I just wanted to say howdy. God bless you.”
Or you could make her day and give her some change.
How would that feel? Creating your own real-life movie, instead of living in fear of the mind-created one…
So appreciate your sharing these words of truth.