The Other Side of the Intersection

One of my spiritual teachers, Fr. Richard Rohr, http://www.cacradicalgrace.org/, who directs the Center for Action and Contemplation in Albuquerque, NM,  told a story that has stayed with me a long time, and occasionally I pull it out, dust it off, and contemplate on it - AGAIN.  Maybe you have stories like that too!  Because it's the New Year, 2012, I thought it might be worth bringing it out of the closet for further contemplation. 

This story is about sitting at an intersection, waiting for the light to turn green.  It's a very complex intersection with 5 streets coming together.  If you don't hit the light just right, you have to wait for a LONG TIME.  Maybe you have an intersection like that in your town or city.  They can be an exercise in patience, to say the least!

As he was waiting for the light to turn, he heard his inner voice say "Richard, are you really going to be any happier when you get across the intersection than you are right now"?  He had to admit to himself that he probably wasn't.  First of all, how many of us like to sit and wait (or stand and wait) for anything?  You know who you are!  You're the person who strives to get the line in the supermarket that's the shortest, only to find out that the person in front of you has a) a million coupons that have to be scanned; b) the computer terminal paper has to be changed; or c) the debit/credit card they're trying to use won't go through and they have to rescan it several times, all the while turning to smile back at you, while they apologize profusely.  You realize this is not about them...it's about you, and another lesson in patience that the universe obviously believes you need.  So you wait patiently (or not), in case you don't realize this is your lesson.

Can we learn to be happy while we wait at the intersection of our lives for...the perfect job, relationship, vacation, home redecorating project, weight loss, health, business opportunity, Lottery win, President, boss, sobriety of family and friends, or whatever to come along?  Yes we can, and those little exercises that come along to try our patience are just that - an exercise.  A practice.  Like breathing in and breathing out, one breath at a time.  Just waiting, with no judgment, no impatience, no rude looks, no angry outbursts, no road rage, and no blaming/shaming (of ourselves or others). 

I suggest we do what Sponge Bob Square Pants does:  Proclaim in a loud, squeaky voice with as much enthusiasm as you can muster - "This is the Best Day of my whole life!"  Say it several times if you can't believe it at first.  Use your whole body.  Spread your arms out and proclaim it again - "This is the Best Day of my whole life!"  Because you know what.  It may just be.  You may not get the opportunity to sit at that intersection tomorrow.  Today is all we have.  Make it not only the best day of your whole life - determine now to make this the best year of your life!  Happy New Year 2012!