Earlier this month, Kate Pickert wrote Time Magazine's feature article "The Mindful Revolution" on calming our overstressed, overstimulated minds with relaxation exercises that hone in on meditation and focusing on tasks at hand. She describes her experience with eating a single raisin but not before scrutinizing the texture, weight and color; the whole point being to really be present with her small snack. With our obsession of multitasking, practicing mindfulness can simultaneously be frustrating and useful to help us figure out what's really important. Be present, because you never know what you could miss.
I read the article while listening to Liza Minelli on my headphones and sitting on Metro. The irony didn't escape me but there was no way I could peacefully read that article at home with my children. I decided there was no time like the present to be well, present. Noting my mild motion sickness from reading, I stuffed the article in my bag and turned off my music: a young teen behind me was killing his ear drums listening to lavish death metal; a man in front of me was uncontrollably coughing up lung particles (mouth wide open with his tongue hanging out). For some reason it reminded me of the time I got stuck between two stops and a woman took her shoes and socks off to clip her toe nails; like the man spreading his airborne disease, I felt trapped, unable to escape. So I closed my eyes to listen to the cars roll over the tracks. Then I missed my stop.
Today's attempt to be mindful on Metro was especially enjoyable because I got to overhear a puzzling conversation between a young woman and her gentleman coworker. Miss Redcoat, (whose name I later learned was Katie) told her buddy that she had zero interest in anything related to the Olympics. Unless, of course it involved ice skating. As a young girl, "like all girls do" she fantasized about wearing a sparkly leotard and winning the gold. But no- she didn't waste her time watching them, and oh by the way- "the Olympics are on now?" Where does she live? Under a rock?
Somehow the conversation steered to Katie's future childbearing years: "Sure I want kids, but I don't want girls. They are too bitchy and expensive. I will name my boys Asa and Beauregard because having a common name is the worst. I just hated being called Katie B. in class." Yeah, kids can be so cruel Katie BEEEE. Then the conversation petered to an end with her sigh in resignation that she would not be going out tonight since she had her Pilates class. Remember when we were single and had to make those horrible choices too? Damn.
I think being mindful on Metro is going to be a valuable practice.
I read the article while listening to Liza Minelli on my headphones and sitting on Metro. The irony didn't escape me but there was no way I could peacefully read that article at home with my children. I decided there was no time like the present to be well, present. Noting my mild motion sickness from reading, I stuffed the article in my bag and turned off my music: a young teen behind me was killing his ear drums listening to lavish death metal; a man in front of me was uncontrollably coughing up lung particles (mouth wide open with his tongue hanging out). For some reason it reminded me of the time I got stuck between two stops and a woman took her shoes and socks off to clip her toe nails; like the man spreading his airborne disease, I felt trapped, unable to escape. So I closed my eyes to listen to the cars roll over the tracks. Then I missed my stop.
Today's attempt to be mindful on Metro was especially enjoyable because I got to overhear a puzzling conversation between a young woman and her gentleman coworker. Miss Redcoat, (whose name I later learned was Katie) told her buddy that she had zero interest in anything related to the Olympics. Unless, of course it involved ice skating. As a young girl, "like all girls do" she fantasized about wearing a sparkly leotard and winning the gold. But no- she didn't waste her time watching them, and oh by the way- "the Olympics are on now?" Where does she live? Under a rock?
Somehow the conversation steered to Katie's future childbearing years: "Sure I want kids, but I don't want girls. They are too bitchy and expensive. I will name my boys Asa and Beauregard because having a common name is the worst. I just hated being called Katie B. in class." Yeah, kids can be so cruel Katie BEEEE. Then the conversation petered to an end with her sigh in resignation that she would not be going out tonight since she had her Pilates class. Remember when we were single and had to make those horrible choices too? Damn.
I think being mindful on Metro is going to be a valuable practice.
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