Everyman's Journal 2011

Everyman's Journal 2011, #25

January 30

One of yesterdays interesting spiritual adventures was a roundabout lesson in not doubting the alwaysness of the divine presence....

This past week I started going to classes at a newly discovered nearby local yoga studio, reawakening my body with that discipline after an extended period away from regular practice. While I am delighted with the increased flexility I am recovering, there are many other lessons available too. And one thing I am pleased to notice is a deep acceptance of being exactly where I am, physically. For to me, it signifies a drop in ego activity when I find I have very little attention on the other class members, or looking good for them or the teacher... I am just being there for me, and what I can gain from doing the yoga postures inside of my current limits (while of course continually working to increase the depth of the asana).

Anyway, after attending several classes in street clothes, today I decided to find some appropriate yoga clothes, particularly loose pants, and being reared 'scotch' (frugal) decided to see if I could find something at a nearby thrift store, knowing it was their sale day where all clothes were only $1. A quick check of the mens pants rack netted nothing, but something led me to also check out the womens pants rack too. I felt a little weird doing that, like I was going to cross-dress or something, but I breathed through it and make up a pretend story about 'I'm looking for my girlfriend, etc' (even though I 'don't have one') just in case somebody needed to know. Tricky little mind-play there, huh? Oh well, nobody batted an eye, so it was all just a little drama in my head. There were a number of womens loose pants that hit my 'maybe' zone...but on inspection I found reasons not to buy any of them.

Next to the womens pants rack was the womans dress rack. As my inner guide tugged me towards it, I didn't want to have anything to do with it, but, obedience is obedience, and being God's fool is at least that... so we (my ego/i and me/the holy joe) started going through the women's dresses, not knowing why at all. But in a few seconds I discovered a couple pair of complete (tops & bottoms) hospital scrubs.... the clothes the doctors & nurses wear.... and I realized the pants part would work good for yoga too. Hot dog! And it's $1 day too.

At the checkout though, a snag appeared.... instead of $1 for the top and bottom combo, they want me to pay $1 for each piece. I express in a gentlemanly way that that seems wrong, as they were hung together on the same hanger etc, and further, if they do insist on that, I ask if I can just buy the pants (which is all I really want or need anyway). They go ask the supervisor in the back room for a decision. When the word returns it's not in my favor on either question, which I notice 'I' don't like so much. (I'm also starting to forget it's a perfect, never-a-mistake-ever universe...). I ask if its possible to speak personally with the supervisor.... I don't have any big plan, but there is always 'charm'. I hear through the open door "Tell him I'm not available...".

Hummmm. I start to remember there's never an accident, take a deep breath to see what I really want to do, and realize that this deal is not a fit for me. And that's what I say to the checkout lady, adding "I'm going to let this one go". "OK", she sweetly says, "see you later" (I've been in more than a few times in the past, you see, and we 'recognize' each other).

Here's where it gets interesting. Driving down to the next corner (and wondering if I should turn around and go back and by the scrubs), my eye sees a garage sale sign, and 'what the heck', I follow it.... in a big circle, basically, eventually finding that the sale is directly behind the thrift store I was just at. 'Maybe you'll find yoga pants here' I hear a thought say. "You have to be kidding" was my retort (I was still a little ticked that the supervisor had not come out to let me try and charm her...). There were some men's pants, but they were about a foot too big for me, and then some racks of old VHS movies caught my eye (I do enjoy a decent movie now and then :-), so I started looking through them.

I was interrupted by a man's voice talking to me..."Weren't you just in the thrift store looking for scrubs?" the voice asked. I looked up into the face of a man I recognized had also been in the store, and who must have seen this sale from the thrift stores parking lot and walked over. "Yes", I replied. "Well, there's a pile of scrubs right over there on that table," he said, pointing.

Sure enough, there they were. We both went through them, he telling me he was looking for scrubs too, but just the tops. So guess what? Right! I found two pairs of scrub pants that fit me much better than the ones in the thrift store, paid a dollar for both of them, and the other guy bought the tops!

Well, I'll be danged, God! (was all I could say.... except also "please forgive me for doubting you, and by the way, cancel the pissiness towards that supervisor too, as she was obviously just doing the script You assigned her perfectly, OK God?. And also, thanks for the yoga pants, they're great!").

Namaste,

David

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My partnership request.... Please consider yourself an important gateway this message is passing through on its way to others. Please do 'send it on'. Thank you.

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Rev. David Seacord

Fine Art Painter / Sufi Cherag

david@davidseacord.com

www.davidseacord.com

(my fine art website)

www.davidseacord-everymansjournal.blogspot.com

(archived writings and poetry, circa 2002 to 2004)

www.davidseacord-acimcommentaries.blogspot.com

(archived 2010 writings on the lessons of A Course in Miracles)

www.everymansjournal2011.blogspot.com

(archived entries of this years Everyman's Journal)