Several interesting things happened walking today with my dog. The first is we met Merlin, a boy friend of my dog, where they had time to play with each other. What was different is Merlin was being walked by Martha, who is a relative of the owner who usually walks Merlin. We started talking and I think it was the first time I really looked at her, even though I have met her several times. Today, I introduced myself and we exchanged names.
I asked her is she had heard if it was going to rain soon. I had not heard the news in a while and the sky was blue, and wondered if I needed to water my garden. She said yes, it is supposed to rain but she hopes it doesn’t because she wants to go to a concert with free music on the waterfront today. That caught my attention; I asked her what concert and what kind of music. She described it and it sounded interesting to me. She said she was going to use her bicycle to get there. At that time, I observe that Martha looks to be about my age, has white hair and is quite fit. Next, she shares with how last week she rode a bike and how it made her feel so exhilarated, like a child again and she wants to do it again.
That also caught my attention. I have been reserving my Sundays as a vacation day for many months, allowing that to be my day to do fun things, whatever I choose with no agenda. When that day arrives, it is a common occurrence that I don’t know what to do with that open space and I end up doing work which is what is comfortable for me. I have two bikes in my attic and it is always on my mind to get back on them. I always loved to ride bicycle in the past and know what the exhilarating feeling is. I also know I need to get my heart rate up higher with an aerobic exercise, which this would be perfect for me. After I got home and thought about this, I am quite certain the Universe was talking to me, telling me what I need to do next. My first thoughts are quite resistant to this idea I have a thousand excuses why I cannot do it. However, I see those are reactions of my old self, which is resistant to change and prefers the comfort zone. Seeing all this, I now have plans for tomorrow and will force myself to do it, trusting I am guided and something synchronistic or some insight is sure to happen when I trust and follow this path.
There is more. The next thing she mentions is how she is trying to get more energy to start her day. This is the first day she skipped her usual coffee and drank water with lemon to increase the alkalinity of her body. She said she missed the coffee, but did feel more energized. That definitely caught my attention, because I was studying energy and was thinking about how coffee can actually drain energy because it revs us up in a chemical way which makes us go too fast. Better to take a rest when we feel tired rather than taking stimulates to keep going. We really need to listen to our body better and do more sensible things. The other thing we talked about was acidity vs. alkalinity, and how coffee creates acidity in the body whereas lemon is the opposite. When you are too acidic in the body, it invites all kinds of diseases to take hold. Yeah, another lesson to be more aware about how everything I take affects me, making sure my PH level is neutral is just as important. Another message that my coffee habit needs to go.
After we said goodbye, then I arrived at my favorite place in the car wash to check the containers for treasures that other people throw away when they vacuum out their cars. Dumpster diving has been a habit that I’ve enjoyed for a long time. While I was digging in the first container, I found a pair of earphones. They appeared to be broken or missing a part so I decided not to keep it. At that time there was a man washing his car next to me, and I noticed he was looking at me. Then suddenly, he came quickly over to me, pulled out a $50 bill and said: I want you to have this. I said, no, no, no, I don’t need it! But thank you for your kind heart! I actually enjoy doing this, it is like going on a treasure hunt! He took his money back, looked at me mysteriously and we parted ways.
Here are the treasures I found in the dumpsters today:
- A large coffee cup with lid for traveling
- A cigarette lighter adapter cord for some device
- A 12 Volt transformer
- A very large synthetic material bag for clothing
As I was walking home carrying them, I thought I don’t need nor want any of these things. I have just thought about stopping coffee, why take a coffee mug. I have no device that will connect to the adapter cord. I have no appliance that needs a 12-volt transformer, although these are quite useful, the reality is I probably have 4 of these already. I don’t need that large bag, but it was a solid one in good condition. I thought maybe I might use it if I go traveling, move or take a trip. Then when I arrived home, I took the two cords and set aside for the thrift store. I washed the coffee mug, and then it really hit me how I was wasting energy washing something I really did not want. It will also go to the thrift store. Now the large bag I see what it will be useful for, I will use it to transport all the things I don’t need to the thrift store, and use that as a reminder to stop wasting energy. Well, at least I saved a few things from ending up in the landfill, but really I have to see how much energy it took for so little in return. The searching, carrying, cleaning, selecting and redistribution all takes time. Surely, I can find a more efficient way to use my time to help improve the world than this. The truth is that saving these items from the landfill is not what I value most; rather it is more like an addiction. The main reason I do it is for the thrill I get from seeking and finding treasures.
Betsy
June 7, 2024
Leave a Reply