Peace In, Peace Out

We live in a complicated world. And, we are complicated people. Never more so than now. It’s hard to shield ourselves from the turmoil occurring in the US, and in other parts of the world. Nor should we. Whatever your beliefs, I think it's good to stay informed of current events, using as many different sources of information as possible. Don’t believe the one source that tells you what you already want to hear. It’s tempting, but I suggest that you don’t settle for confirmation bias. Listen to what someone else has to say, too.

I think of how people’s emotions and reactions are constantly on edge. There seems to be chronic Road Rage ready to burst out at any given moment. While people might feel justified in their convictions, the net result of recent confrontations has been quite tragic. In keeping with my Libra zodiac traits, I am a peacemaker, always trying to balance the scales. I usually maintain a calm disposition, the voice of reason. Let’s look at both sides of the issue.

Yet, I remember one incident when that was not the case. Had I been on the road, it would have been a clear case of Road Rage. But, I was on my feet standing in a crowd. I let my temper get the better of me in the heat of the moment. And, I have no idea why.

I was pregnant with my firstborn. Rob worked for a small company owned by a family who had ties to the Hilton Head community.  We were attending a weekend event hosted by his company--an excursion to The Heritage Golf Tournament on Hilton Head Island, SC.  The plan was for us all to spend several days wining & dining clients at the prestigious golf tournament. During the weekend stay at Hilton Head, we had a schedule of places to be, times to arrive, and clients to entertain at various tournament festivities. We were shuttled around from place to place.

One night, someone suggested that a group of us meet at a bar for a quick casual gathering before we officially began entertaining and schmoozing. Let off a little steam, relax, and goof around, before facing the “business” part of the evening. The group’s ringleader told us that so-and-so bar was opening for Happy Hour at 5pm, which would allow us more than an hour of socialization before we had to meet up for “duty” with work clients. There should be no problem getting to the work event, if everything worked according to schedule.

But it didn’t.

We arrived at the bar before the 5pm opening time, so that we would be first in line to secure seats, place drink orders, and partake of the Happy Hour food buffet as soon as the doors opened. We waited outside the doors patiently as more people arrived and a long queue formed. Employees intermittently came outside to survey the crowd of people and tell us that they would be opening the doors “soon.”  As the minutes ticked by, our patience waned. And my stomach growled. Refer to the opening paragraph—I was pregnant. I had no interest in bar drinks. But, the food buffet. Now, that’s where it was at. I needed food. Badly. Also, as the minutes ticked by, we felt our carefully crafted plan falling apart. The pre-party atmosphere was rapidly changing to fear of being late for “work.”  We weren’t the only people grumbling. The large crowd waiting outside was milling about and losing patience for this advertised Happy Hour event. I’m surprised we didn’t bail on the plan, but the group dynamic kept us planted in place.

As the bar finally prepared to open the doors, almost 30 minutes late, an employee came out to scooch our mass of humanity into a more manageable line. Thus, Rob and I were shoved into a spot standing in front of a tall man and his wife. The man, miffed at our movement, spoke loudly to his wife and derisively said, “WE’ve been here forever, and THESE people, who just got here, are now in front of us.”

That’s when I snapped. I wheeled around, leaned towards the man, and with all the venom I could muster, I hissed, “We’ve been waiting in line too….” pause, pause, pause….then I raised up on my tiptoes to get up in his face and viciously spat out, “BUDDY.” Then I swung back around, harrumphing as I crossed my arms and fumed. Behind me I heard his wife say, “They’ve been in line as long as we have.” And, then I heard Rob’s co-workers absolutely lose it, laughing and saying, “Did you see that?!! Did you hear Gwen??!!!” Thankfully, the doors opened and we were able to move in, get refreshments, and continue on with our activities. The night was salvaged. And, I got the food that I desperately craved. But, for the years that Rob worked for that company, I never lived down my outburst. People joked about it a lot.

How embarrassing. I mean, what got into me? Why did I lose my cool? It wasn’t even important. Maybe I can blame my explosion on pregnancy hormones? IDK what overtook me and made me act so hatefully. I couldn't control my actions. And, I'm not alone. Unfortunately, many of us have the capacity to blow up under stress. We are seeing it all the time. It can happen to the best of us.

That encounter notwithstanding, I prefer to take comfort looking for positives and manifesting calm. Bringing Peace In to fortify my spirit. My current heroes of the day are the Huong Dao Vipassana Bhavana Center monks who have been conducting the Walk for Peace from Fort Worth, Texas to Washington DC. Walking over 2300 miles, they should arrive in DC in mid February. I get daily updates about their progress traversing through towns and countryside. I love every story about their mission to spread compassion, determination, unity, nonviolence, peace, and love. To bring a voice of sanity to our land. Aloka, their canine buddy, is a wonderful symbol of loyalty and perseverance. Even suffering with medical issues, he embodies the supportive spirit of companionship.

My heart is full when I see tens of thousands of regular people who flock to see the monks, greet them, and urge them onward as their route crosses the southern states. I’m sorry I did not get a chance to visit the monks in person when they walked through the state of Georgia. If you aren’t keeping up with the Walk For Peace via social media or other means, you are absolutely missing out. Would that we all could take a stand to promote and radiate peace for all mankind.

_{All photos from Walk for Peace facebook page.}

Stay safe out there, friends. And, be reasonable, comforting, and kind. Treat humans like humans, in the best way possible. Take a moment to breathe Peace In. Then, Peace Out, brothers and sisters.