It was a glorious morning as I cycled over to the lake to do my daily mediation and I was immersed in the magnificence of Nature. All along the cycle path were meadow grasses and wild flowers: cornflowers, campion, vetch, buttercups, mallows and they were teeming with butterflies and bees. A green woodpecker flew along side me for a (very) short while as I approached the lake and I saw numerous ethereal damsel flies fluttering by. Could my day get any better? And then I came to my favourite spot for meditation!
It was strewn with the remnants of someone’s swimming party the previous evening. What amazed me was that someone who is clearly conscious enough to colour coordinate his towel and blanket, is unconscious enough to just leave them in a place of such natural beauty. In fact, leave them anywhere for that matter, other than his own washing basket at home. (I say he because of the swimming short abandoned by the lakeside.)
When I use the words conscious and unconscious, I not talking about eyes open but on automatic pilot as opposed to comatose: I’m referring to a state of awareness. Noticing everything – how we’re feeling within ourselves, the sounds around us, the colours, nature, other people, our words, actions and body language: being present and aware in the moment. Being fully alive!
It saddens me that people discard things in the street, in forests, on the beaches, up mountains, and I know I’ve had rants about leaving litter before. But it is absolutely beyond my comprehension what people tell themselves to justify this behaviour. Apart from the fact that there are signs everywhere banning barbecues because of the risk of grass fires and more signs warning people not to swim because the water contains Weil’s disease or leptospirosis, which can be lethal, who do these unconscious beings think is going to clear up their mess? Do they think the Waste Wizard will come in the middle of the night and magic it away? Hey ho!
However, despite the mess, I did manage to stay in the moment and I managed a wonderful meditation, keeping my mind from drifting into resentment and judgement. In a perfect world everyone would take responsibility for themselves and their debris but, our world is far from perfect and we can’t change other people: all any of us can do is to change our selves.
I shall leave you with a couple of pictures of the cycle path in all its midsummer glory. Have a wonderful day and, please, take your litter home with you!
Reiki in Wanstead 