bamboo

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Don’t ask me why, but the letter B, buzzes in my brain.  Be careful, beware, be who you are, be kind, be in sync.

Last month Jim and I filled the truck with our recycling. The abundance of newspapers, the wine bottles, the plastic, and the aluminum cans, make their own statement and keep me humbled.  This time however, a nest of bees had nestled inside a cardboard box, making a home. The swarm attacked my elbows and ankles. Yes, I ran in circles pulling my clothes off and rushed for cold water and antihistamine.  It took days for the swelling to recede. No message here. Just Bees.

This past week I was stopped by two cars and one woman who lived on our road.  Each prefaced the encounter with, “I see you walking every morning. Did you know that a bear was spotted by the curve in the road near your driveway and again just by the woods on this road?”   The woman showed me a photo of the large bear. She cautioned me to bring a stick. I asked if I could run inside her home If I needed to. We laughed. The Bear didn’t scare me too much.  What did cause me pause and a sense of well-being was the realization that my private walks were watched by the entire neighborhood. Be Ware, I’m not incognito.  

Our blueberry bush has had three pickings thus far. And, still the birds have stayed in abeyance. The first picking was with my long, lost friend Susanne.  We passed a week together reconnecting. Doing what we used to do in our early thirties. I realized that each of us had remained the same, that our essence was unaltered, even after horrific hardships.  Our memories sustain us in tough times. We hold onto the blueberry crisp crumbles hot out of the often, a beacon of a time of joy from long ago. Our taste buds, our enjoyment and love can keep us whole, even as we are worn down. Susanne, be who you are, and I will be who I am.

Bamboo grows faster than horsetails.  I admire the gumption, persistence, and long roots.  The one in our front yard, grows tall, but I find shoots everywhere. The dark pointy sticks poke out from the green grass, far from its source. I snip them with the mower or clippers.  Jim pulls the long roots unraveling the underworld of connectivity. I hold my unkind thoughts and reframe my intolerance to the pokey points that disturb my lawn. Be Kind, for there is more to the story than meets your eyes.

The other evening, I attended a fundraiser.  I went to calm my nerves, to find a sense of purpose in a crowded field of negativity.  What I found was a down to earth representative who understood his role in government. He dressed in keeping with the locals, he focused on his committee work which was to keep the country safe. He listened to all attendees, gave of his time. Offered opinions, but his message to me was to Be In-sync.  To do this he didn’t push an agenda, just worked on principles.  He showed by his dress, talk, actions, and performance, that he understood all sides. He was willing to hold himself and the country accountable.  His mantra encompassed a gentle, but firm belief in the people he represented, not just those that elected him. 

The question I pose to myself, is how will I, who treasures my individuality, my specialness, my views, and my privacy be in-sync with others?  How do I move to understand my environment and those living with and near, so that I share the space and stay focused on my work of living a full life?   

Said more simply how can I be in-sync with those that are different and still be me?  Let me know your thoughts at www.abberolnick.com. 

My Usage
I trembled with fear and cold, standing on the rill, that left little leeway of movement. For the route of the stream had gouged the banks, and each step left me with little wiggle room. I took a leap of faith and grabbed a tree branch and climbed to safety.

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