Tuesday, May 11, 2010

neighbors......tall grass, weeds, & last year's leaves

You have one. I know you do. The neighbor that doesn't keep their property up as good as you would like, or has loud parties, or parks cars in your way, or blows leaves into your yard or the street....or maybe you don't care for the color of the house, or the type of decorations they use......whatever it is.

I have a house on either side of me that could, if I let them, drive me absolutely to distraction. Twenty years ago, two little old ladies lived next door to me - one on each side. The houses were old, not updated (no central air for example), but the ladies managed to mow the yard and keep their homes reasonably repaired. Eventually.....both ladies died -and the homes passed to their daughters.

That's when it got bad, mostly in the spring, when grass grows quickly and needs to be treated for weeds. But also in the fall, when leaves need to be raked and composted. Nothing was done. Then...the honey locust tree died. Then the fence fell down. Then, the driveway cracked, and the guttering fell off.

One of the daughters still lives in her mother's house, the other house is abandoned. It was empty for nearly three years. Finally that daughter came back home to live, but she would say strange things (like her dog could fly), or just sit for hours staring into space. And she turned out to be a hoarder, a pack rat. She is gone again, probably living with family. And the homes continue to age, fall into disrepair, and the grass grows tall. Weeds, trash, limbs/branches, and last year's leaves are a nuisance.

I bring this all up to describe the circumstances, the "back story". But I bring it up to make a certain point too.......one that has to do with "living my yoga".

Last weekend, tired of looking at the front yard of the occupied home (I basically ignore the abandoned one, I'm helped by my wooden fence that blocks the view), I got my gloves, gathered all of the fallen branches and trash for the fire pit or the dumpster....hopped on my tractor and mowed her front yard. I set the blade on the second highest setting. She was not home when this took place. In years past, she sometimes would pull in the driveway when I was just finishing up, give me a look (or maybe say thank you) and go inside. I think she is a little socially inept, or maybe even a little bit impaired, or maybe ashamed?

I love my tractor. I work hard to afford to pay for my yard equipment and everything else I own. She has a mower (have helped her start it before) but doesn't seem inclined to use it very often. Mowing with a lawn tractor is easy work. Just ride awhile. I enjoy the ride. So....(and here is my point)...why did I finally feel resentment? Wasn't I just doing what I've always done? Helping out when I could no longer stand to look at the tall grass is my problem, though there are health concerns with unkempt properties (standing water, ticks, unsafe tree limbs, etc.)

I have to be able to perform a deed, without resenting it! If it's my choice to mow her yard, I can't be mad at her for NOT mowing it! I have the means (I own the equipment, I can buy the fuel), I am blessed with the physical ability, and I made the choice to act. That should be cause for gratitude not resentment. Just thinking about these things is a step toward living the yoga I say I practice.....

I will say that once I finished, I let go of the results. Maybe she noticed, maybe not. Maybe she will thank me, maybe she won't. She might think about mowing her own yard (I didn't touch the back yard), or it might not be on her mind......who knows. That is the part I can feel good about.

The next time I decide to mow her yard, I hope to do so in a spirit of service and unselfishness...then just continue on with my day and let it all go....thus "living my yoga".

Thursday, May 6, 2010

Serving a meal at The Lord's Diner....

.....from the Lord's Diner website: "The Lord’s Diner serves dinner nightly from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., 7 days a week, 365 days a year, including holidays. A small paid staff, assisted by more than 5,500 volunteers representing many faiths and denominations prepare and serve a hot, nutritious meal in a spirit of compassion, respect and loving service. The Lord’s Diner is currently serving an average of 400 meals nightly".

It was the first Tuesday of the month (assistance checks had arrived the dining room director told us), and so it was a fairly light night (by the diner's standards). At times, the Lord's Diner will serve over 500 people in just under two hours. Tonight, when the doors opened, there was a huge rush. At first we were so busy scooping and dishing, that we couldn't really look up or around. As the first wave passed, we were able to take a breath and notice our surroundings. Behind us stands a team of men who restock the serving trays - "more potatoes...more bread", we call out as we need refills.

Some guests are open and friendly, some are drunk or high, some are surly, quite a few just shuffle past with trays and drinks, not saying a word, not making eye contact. There are more families with small children than ever before.

The sensory experience is hard to describe -steam in our faces from the storage carts that hold the hot food, the strong smell of cigarette smoke and unwashed humans as the diners pass by, the foot or leg ache from standing so long in one spot, how hard it is to maintain mountain pose during breather times (still that tendency to "sit" on one hip). The rubber mat that I was standing on ended at my right foot, so my left foot was an inch lower at my station. And...why is there always an itch on your face, just when you have clean hands and clean gloves on them? Ha!

The t-shirts worn by the diners with slogans like: "Carpe Diem", "I'm Excited To Be Here", "Power to the People" "River Run", etc. seemed to mock the plight of the person receiving this hot, free meal.

And, this being my home town for nearly half a century.......I did see someone I once knew. Someone who, 20+ years ago had a job, and an apartment, and friends to hang out with. Someone who looked right past me and did not see me. Someone once very much like me. Someone I was once very much like.

2010 will be my 5th year as a Lord's Diner volunteer.

Monday, May 3, 2010

Maya Tulum

I had an opportunity to visit the Yucatan Peninsula in March for a yoga retreat. Most of the participants came from the Bay area (where the teacher, Barbara Voinar lives), but she draws students from all over the United States. I met her in Wichita at a yoga workshop three years ago.

Maya Tulum is a resort and wellness center, offering mud treatments, vegetarian food, at least 8 different types of massage, a sweat lodge, beach activities, and yoga. Visiting yoga teachers reserve group trainings and retreats, like ours. We had a two hour class each morning and a two hour class each evening (doing the math: 24 hours of yoga in 6 days).

The food was good, with fish on the menu two nights (wahoo and grouper), plenty of fresh fruit, beautiful salads, traditional Mexican rice, tortillas and tamales - just without meat. The hosts arranged for a salsa dance class on Friday from two professional dancers (video on my facebook page), and there were a variety of eco-tours in the area. A group of us rented bikes (the old-fashioned kind – pedal forward to go, and backward to stop!) and toured the Mayan ruins up the coast a few kilometers. That day, El Presidente (Felipe Calderon) was there giving a speech, and the military presence was awe-inspiring. There were Mexican navy ships off-shore and certain areas were off-limits to tourists. Later in the week, some of the students went on a float trip, others went snorkeling.

The accommodations were modest, mostly thatched-roof huts and cabanas, but they were comfortable, well-furnished, and clean. I highly recommend it!

http://www.rrresorts.com/f.html#/maya_tulum/