The friends we never knew we have

Photo by Alan Mersom on Unsplash

One story I would love to listen endlessly would be around fascinating encounters that have marked our day. Often might be encounters that would not offer any weight in our sphere of perception. We might pass them as unimportant or we might think it is odd perhaps, quickly moving on to our to-do list.

These encounters that I would create and honour a magic space for, have been my reliable source of back-up for long now. A reliable source of information so to speak. A reliable source of pausing and reflecting on what would be wisdom in their showing up on my path. These encounters have been my friends all along.

Perhaps the easiest way is to share a couple of short stories… and hopefully they would make you recollect the friends you have met on your path without even thinking much at that time.

I must have mentioned perhaps in one of my earlier stories, the two kites flying rhythmically in a precise dance, on a daily routine I discovered they had. I believe today that it was myself looking for that reference point and routine to organize my days in the quarantine hotel. Looking back now I have noticed how engaged I was with the moment they were showing up, the moment they were starting their slow dance in front of my eyes. There were sunny days that interfered with me observing them well as the sun’s reflection in the opposite building’s windows were interfering strongly. There were rainy days when the kites were hiding and not going up high in the sky. Most of the days, that has become a moment to pause, sit still and watch en endless loop, a pairing in the sky, as they were almost drawing the infinite sign just in front of me.

I even went back and checked their symbolism and in many reference materials there were given quite a bit of negative reflections.In a nutshell they are called opportunistic hunters and scavengers. They are still a prey animal in their real day job so to speak.

And yet for me, they have given me so much hope, they have put up a daily show that I never expected I could watch undisturbed and in complete stillness. There was so much about patience, about seeing what is right in front of you, about yes indeed, that very opportunity to deep dive higher. To look up.

The beauty of these encounters for me is that once I recognize a connection with their world, new information keep coming or shall I say simply I am suddenly open to connect more often to what surrounds me.

I have been recently trying to have a discussion and ask for professional advise on a topic outside of my specialty. The counterpart has prepared to offer me a high level presentation, yet quite imposing and convoluted in the delivery. I have sensed a bit of superiority in the air and that was that , I just dropped a note mentally and really have parked it quickly. It was a flinch let’s say inside of me.

At some moment, we have stood up to write on a white board near this big window next to us. The theories and brainstorm was intensifying and I dropped another note that someone was offering me a lesson in fact , by the book.

I would not know where from and how, a huge kite just flew in as if he was almost crushing in our window while at the same time mastering an effortless u-turn. This was a site hard to erase from my memory. It was my same flinch moment, warning me that there is something not so right in my entire discussion. It has brought a magic interruption of that particular rehearsed set-up. It has distracted us on the spot as it has felt that close and palpable.It has allowed me to burst into a healthy laughter and be in awe with the kite’s majestic flow and precision.

I would admit. I do not think I could engage in the discussion any longer and I have most probably listened to the speech quite passively. The words were just visitors in this real physical space in between two humans trying to communicate. My attention was kept outside though, equally flying with the kite. He went away. He has never came back to the same window.

What were the odds he would be there for me except being a good old friend by my side. This is how I took it. That has been my support & disruptor for the day.

Namaste friend.

Any time I am reminded of these little-big signs of support,I start diving into my magic library of memories and dig out a similar moment. As if we were engaging in story telling with friends, I retell vividly this story, someone else remembers another one and suddenly I have a made up conversation in my mind.A conversation punctuated by moments that are there to stay, deep in my heart.

The following little-big story will involve a totem of the island I live in. The surprising buffalo.

Photo by Chloe Leis on Unsplash

I find it surprising because to me is the visual impact of a big animal. It might startle us at first when we see them showing up in a small herd, looking for food and endlessly digging the grass to eat. They might startle as they have this ability to look you up in your eyes. To acknowledge the human, and should you be just minding your business, they then proceed to ignore you. They might startle also because mainly they seem very peaceful and yet they give us a bit of a scare when they show up.

So we stop. At first, we stop. We notice. To pay attention.

There are these many stories we must have added to our library since we live on this island.

The latest one perhaps for me is again one of strength.

I found myself coming back from work one evening. As it happens it gets dark very quickly here and it was basically night. I might not remember the entire circumstances, yet I remember how I felt. I remember that I was very tired. I think I was on the phone somehow. I remember taking the corner and waiting at the crossroads to check if there is any car coming when simply found myself saying to the person on the phone”No car. But there is this buffalo. So I will let him pass first.”

I was in fact talking to myself out loud. I was noticing out loud.

The time has stopped.The person in the waiting on the other end of the phone perhaps was saying something. I was just mesmerised with the slow motion of this big old friend, steadily moving up the hill and going about his business. I have no idea why they take a particular road, how is their wandering system working.

What mattered to me right then,right there was that I was not walking up the hill alone anymore. I did not feel the heavy weight of my tired body.I did not feel the lead in my shoes anymore and I was not dragging my feet. I have started moving slowly up, cutting a glance from time to time to the buffalo joining me on the opposite side of the road, also going up. They move slowly. Determined.Undisturbed really. He did not stopped to grab any food on his way. He did not stop to grab some grass to chew on. He just kept walking.And I have kept walking.

The beauty of these moments for me is in the change. In the shift triggered by this to move my attention from the heavy shoulders to the determination. To the slowness.

No one said really that I have to reach my home in 5 minutes. Maybe that evening it has taken me 15 minutes. Just one step at a time.

I totally forgot that I was still on the phone.

There were two supporters with me, almost doing the walking with me.

Namaste buffalo and friend. We could do it.

I would love to leave you today with a poem by Mark Nepo, from his book The Half Life of Angels.

Mark Nepo,The Half Life of Angels

Much gratitude.