Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Taking the Splash

So today's visit to the dentist was uneventful. The best thing about going to the dentist is the free (my favorite "f" word) stuff you get. As a kid I would look forward to intriguing and exotic things like secret decoder rings. Now, it's a toothbrush, toothpaste, mouthwash, and those little floss containers that come in handy for traveling. At least there were no cavities.

Seems like today was a "hurry up and wait" kind of day. Don't live in Massachusetts anymore, but passed the Basketball Hall of Fame four times (should-a stopped for lunch). All in all, everything I did today was basic mundane stuff. But then again, most of what I do every day is basic mundane stuff. And it mostly wouldn't matter all that much if I put some of it off until tomorrow.

There's a lesson in all of this - perhaps someone reading this can develop it better than me. Most of the time, most of our days are spent doing regular things. Some things are constantly repeated (give up brushing your teeth for a week and you will rapidly understand.) I'm taking the saying "going around in circles" to a new level. (Sure hope somebody out there in blogland will jump in and comment otherwise I have to fly solo here.)

What for me seems to change a lot is my mood/attitude toward what is happening at the time. I often don't like that at all as I can dredge up some of the old negative, lazy, lethargic attitudes I have become proficient at. Every now and then I am able to infuse a good/positive attitude about things to which I surprise myself and think "how come I don't see it this way more often?", and I don't really know why I don't use it more often. Maybe I feel it takes too much effort, or I believe it's not realistic - just a passing phase, or my humanity is simply not up to the task.

Two thousand years ago a man underwent his Paschal Mystery and revealed the fullness of the divine life in the depths of the human heart. How does one realize this in one's own human experience of life, and how come (at least it seems to me) most folks don't even seem to notice? Does the mundane stuff and our ever-changing attitudes cloud things and preoccupy us?

But, ever get that gnawing feeling that something bigger than the ordinary is going on precisely in the ordinary? Somebody says the right thing at the right time, or unexpected favors or compliments or friendliness catches us off guard. Those are the places I need to look for more often. Don't think I have to  look too high or low or around the ordinary. But I do have to look. Your comments are very welcome.

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