A Morning of Questions

We human beings have enormous difficulty in focusing on the present, 
we're always thinking about what we did, about how we could have done it better, 
about the consequences of our actions, and about why we didn't act as we should have.

It isn't what you did in the past that will affect the present. It's what you do in the present that will redeem the past and thereby change the future. 
 - Paulo Coelho from ALEPH

I leave on my morning run after reading the words of Paul Coelho. Night blooming jasmine's fragrance still tingles in the sunshine.  Someone's cooking pancakes. An aroma of coffee teases.

On a path near the sea, crows' castanets and song sparrow trills vibrate around me.  Rising in Vs, pelicans parade above the squawks of seagulls. Refreshment and relaxation move into my muscles as I ease into the day.

Rose petals hold on through August's heat. I greet walkers and joggers with a summer smile; some are oblivious.

Human behaviors mingle making me doubt Coelho who says they consider the consequences of their actions.

I weave past tourists with their cellphones. They lose focus on the present. Will they bump into me?

A walker lets her dog extend on leash. I teeter and jump over the terrier's growls. One person flicks a cigarette butt. With a shrug and grin, another discards a cup in the bushes.

Why does disregard for courtesy abound? Is disrespect for the environment unconscious?

What if each person owned a responsibility for his or her actions?  Would our world change if everyone thought and acted beyond their self-consumption?

The day's annoyances make me wonder. Will I become a gray raider as age advances? Should I confront others' behaviors and risk their responses?

If I pass the Positive forward will the ripple effect arouse anyone?

My awareness and sensitivity increase as I continue my route.

After stretching, I let someone go in front of me at the coffee cart.  She smiles and says," Thank you," with surprise in her eyes. The connection feels good.

Rather than stomp and screech at home, I'll write until the ink runs dry or fingers cramp on the keys.

I'll redeem myself in the way Paulo Coelho writes about a focus on the present.

By the end of the page, I will have probed and expressed my nature.







Creative Write:  Everyone needs a ritual to sooth the soul and prepare for life's mysteries.

What do you do to get in touch with something deep inside of yourself?
Do you live the moments in movement?
How do you deal with despair? Show the ways you encourage Positive behavior.