Halting Hyperventilation

It’s Friday and OMG I am hyperventilating thinking of all I NEED to get done!

AnswerEmailsDotheLaundryWashTheFloorCleanTheHouseTransltatethe
PostDoUrgentWorkDoUrgentWorkDoUrgentWorkDoUrgentWork

Everything from the ToDo list for this quickly dissipating week, including everything added midway, gets squashed into that little square, that Funnel of Expectation on the uncluttered Google calendar page. That virtual secretary offering assurance that there’ll be time. It lies.

The Universe, however, has other plans.

While walking the dogs, and reading the email on my phone, I was stopped by the little man known for walking as fast as he talks and today had to tell me about his encounter with the group of near-by soldiers and his son’s reaction to the events taking place just outside our fence.

Pedaling my rusty bike to the village mini-market, I passed the resident artist who has begun to work his magic on the concrete wall of a shelter; refuge for when we need to duck the rocket-fire, but till now so very overwhelming and incongruous with the rest of the natural scenery. The “documentor” in me left me no choice but to get off my bike, exchange a few words, and snap a photo.

In our intimate little shop, the sweet elderly grandfather simply HAD to stop me mid-shop to recount a childhood memory triggered by association with a current event. Today’s wasp that had snuck into the store, extracted an anecdote from when he was a mischievous schoolboy in pre-state Israel.

The Universe’s way of telling me to slow down. Especially in this community I love so much. Even more especially in light of the crappy times we are going through in this country, under constant threat. I read the signposts thrown at me, and paused each time – to see, to listen, to share, to smile, to smile. I’m so glad I did. And now that I have even carved out the time to share this in cyberspace, I can breathe……..

#ShabbatShalom