'Hump Day" Ramble

Cultivating a generous spirit starts with
mindfulness. Mindfulness, simply stated,
means paying attention to what is actually
happening; it's about what is really going on.

Nell Newman

Good morning, everyone.  Well, we made it to 'Hump Day'.  It's very humid out there today, and if I didn't have to get Miss Minga some food.  I do whatever necessary to keep her strong.  I feed her breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  Breakfast she usually eats fairly well...if it is something she likes.   Lunch is so-so most of the time.  But, I got her into the habit of having a special dinner with me.  Not people food, of course, but a more expensive chunkier brand of food. I take a spoon and mash it a little before serving her. (Usually I give her classic because  she cannot chew like before).  On Monday I bought her two of a new brand and several of her usual brand.  She refused to eat her usual and has eaten both of the new brand.  So, I must get her more.  It does my heart good when she eats.  I am always so worried about her.

Thanks to all those with advice about my dream yesterday.  Fortunately, last night he was gone. It was all so strange, a television character taking up residence in my dream.  My dreams were as they usually were,  with me doing some kind of farming, but always in the background was this sobbing male voice.  They didn't  scare me at all.  It's was all just so weird.  But, I will definitely be careful what I listen to before falling asleep from now on.

Yesterday after helping a blind man get on the bus, I got on myself.  The bus was quite crowded, and no seats were available.  I know many of you have heard my public transportation woes before, but lack of respect is one of my biggest frustrations.  

So, when I get on the bus yesterday on one side sat an elderly man with a cane, a 30ish Asian woman, and a boy of about 10 (probably her son).  On the other side sits the blind man, a girl in her late teens, and an Asian woman of about 45.  Guess who got up to offer me a seat?  After I stood hanging on to my cane with one hand and the pole with the other for one long stop, it was the 45 year old Asian woman who got up for me. 

Usually I don't say anything.  I remember that crazy lady who went off on me last time, but yesterday I hurt so bad that I just blurted out to a woman standing nearby, "It should be the young ones who get up.  They just don't learn manners anymore."  Another woman standing nearby said rather brusquely, "Just be grateful you have a seat."  She then turned to her daughter and said something in Spanish.  The daughter asked 'who' and the woman nodded in my direction.  The daughter just shrugged and gave me a nasty look. I kept quiet until I was ready to get off, then turned to her and said.... 

"Yes, I was very grateful for a seat, and you should be grateful as well.  Had a police officer been on the bus, you would have had to pay a hefty fine for your daughter taking up a handicapped seat while a senior with a cane has to stand.  Next time you may not be so lucky. It's just that I feel disillusioned that young people have no respect anymore.  And, by the way, I understand Spanish (I don't, but she doesn't know that) and I feel sorry that you didn't take this opportunity to educate your daughter on proper manners and respect, but instead you chose to make me a bad guy. One day you are going to be a senior like me, and I can only hope that you never have to suffer from the amount of pain I do, but if you do, I also hope that you get more respect than you and your daughter gave me."  And I got off the bus before they could respond.

Needless to say, I am pretty proud of myself. I think I handled it very well.