Year Two, Day 87: Praying for a Hateful Man. On a Train

Today is day 6 of my "happiness way":

"The way to happiness:

Keep your heart free from hate, your mind from worry.

Live simply, expect little, give much.

Fill your life with love.

Scatter sunshine.

Forget self, think of others.

Do as you would be done by.

Try this for a week and you will be surprised".

~The Power of Positive Thinking, Norman Vincent Peale, 1952

I finished reading The Power of Positive Thinking on the train ride home to Portland from Salem yesterday. Usually a one hour trip, yesterday took 3 hours - including an odd moment of about a half mile traveling in reverse! Apparently there was a problem with the Steele Bridge. The Amtrak employees had to change the connecting tracks by hand. Not sure I understood the whole process.

But I was ok with it. The train is very comfortable, and I was immersed in my book.

That is, until the man behind me started spewing profanity. Such hateful words, most of them which I do not want to remember, even less repeat!

He was obviously very put out that we were going to be late. He called the employees horrible names and cursed them. It went on for the whole last hour of our delay.

I was getting rather annoyed. I tried putting my ear buds in. But it did nothing to drown out his hate.

I turned on the radio, but then I could still hear him. And I could not not focus on the last chapter of my book, which is ironically titled "How to Draw Upon that Higher Power"!

So, I did just that. I prayed for the angry, hate spewing man.

And then I moved up a few rows. I smiled at the lady with the alarmed expressed in the seat across the aisle.

And I finished my book.

Like a true student of positivity!

We made it to Portland, by the way. And hateful man walked off without another word.

Happy Thursday!

Comments

Year Three, Day 58: Marilyn Monroe's Measurements

Day 24 of daily hooping. I am determined to shrink these abs, if it is the last thing I do! Perhaps I should have that written on my tombstone: "Here lies Zita". Flat abs at last!! Well I certainly hope to attain my flat abs goal BEFORE I am dead and gone! Today's video was another rush job. But I downloaded some fun tunes to my Kindle last night. I enjoyed my hoop session more listening to the Punjabi music. It reminded me of the "Maritime Bhangra Dancers". If you haven't heard of them, you should look them up. They never fail to put a smile on my face! I am not smiling so much looking at this video. My hooping skills have improved a bit, but that menopot has got to go! After my hoop session, I walked 3/4 mile to the bus stop. I was planning on attending the 10:00 a.m. Mass at the Grotto, but it was cutting it close. Plus, I was feeling the need for a Starbucks iced tea. Today was Iced Passionfruit/Black Tea, no sugar whatsoever. The ic...

Year Three, Day 110: I Like Change, But How Do I Help the Suffering?

I woke up in a bit of a panic this morning. I had planned on getting to the track by 6:30 a.m., because I thought today was the first day of school. You see, the public is not allowed to use the track when school is in session. Understandably so. But alas, I overslept! I still headed out with my hoop, hoping it was before school hours at 7:30 a.m. And I breathed a sigh of relief. The school looked vacant. And only one solitary jogger with her solitary dog was present. I got busy in case the kids were due to arrive. Got a nice hoop workout in. No sign of children as I walked back to the house. So I did what I should have done in advance. I consulted Google. And most happy am I - North Clackamas School District does not start back to school until September 6th! Portland Public Schools start today. But the elementary school next door to the track lists "student hours" as 7:45 - 2:00 p.m. So I really am going to have to get an earlier start next week. I am aiming...

Year Two, Day 201: "I"

Before my first meeting with "I" I had a wonderful first date last night! We had a lot on common. The conversation flowed easily. We laughed. It was so lovely, that I think I shall not blog about him. Not yet anyway. I am just going to call him "I". I like I. 😉 Today was a long, wonderful family day. Went to church with my daughter and son-in-law. Very powerful, uplifting service. After that we went to the horse races. Had a blast. Broke even. Essentially had a free lunch and four hours of entertainment. After the horses, we had yet another Thanksgiving dinner at my niece's place. It was her first turkey. It was amazing! But thank God I had enough willpower to resist the pie! Tomorrow I go for my first physical therapy appointment. Tuesday it is back to the gym!! Happy Sunday!

Soul Runnings

Search This Blog