Shopping Carts

Challenge is a dragon with a gift in its mouth. Tame the dragon and the gift is yours.

Noela Evans
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Hello Stuart
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Doesn't it seem to you as if the world is full of dragons and other fantastic beasts threatening our peace, our freedom and sometimes our lives? It does to me. History can be described as the carcases of former challenges that we have left behind us, littering the otherwise clear, straight trail of our lives. The challenge is always about who owns the path and who has the right to tread it.

I had a remarkable experience today. The law of averages must have broken down in the local supermarket. The place was packed with people and everyone had a shopping cart. The aisles are wide enough for two carts to narrowly pass each other if it's done carefully. But it isn't if there are clerks stocking the shelves, which there were in every aisle. I made my way with my cart through all the aisles around people who were examining merchandise and children trying to decide which cereal they wanted, and everywhere the frequent push cart full of goods being put on the shelves. The remarkable thing is that for the 45 minutes I was maneuvering around the place there wasn't one single act of rudeness or selfishness. Everyone was making way for everyone else and being pleasant about it.

How infrequently is that type of behavior seen? No, we have road rage. We have just read about people pushing and shoving each other to get on a life boat. As I wrote about recently, there even are people who seem to go out of their way to make life difficult for others. We have too much "A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do." and "I am woman hear me roar."

The fables that show up on our paths, the fire breathing dragons, the ugly, stinking swamp creatures or the talking worms, seem to bring out the worst in people. Do battle, slay the dragon, be rude to the person on the phone who is not responsible for whatever is wrong, be rude to the customer, don't give them an inch, if they are in your way with their shopping cart make them back up and get out of your way.

The great realization, the great gift, is to learn that the dragon is tamable. If you slay the dragon you never get that gift. Everyone seems to be out for revenge, to teach the world a lesson "I'm important and you're not." But the person is truly gifted who can calmly face the challenges, defuse the rage and not take revenge, who can be at one with the world around him, who can look out for other people, their needs and their safety and who can remind himself at every turn in the road that selfishness is a dragon to be tamed.

DB - Vagabond Journeys
Never Give Up
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This invitation is still open for anyone and everyone to post an entry of their own on my journal, Vagabond Journeys http://vagabondjourneys.blogspot.com/.

A new year is upon us and since it is a time for celebrations, remembrances, resolutions and plans for the future I think people have things to say.

Not to take away from the postings on your own journals, but to add to the joy of my own is why I invite you to write for me.

I want to read what your thoughts are about this magical time of the year. This invitation is open to everyone: Christians, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, Pagans, Agnostics, Atheists and the Uncertain or the Confused. Tell me your thoughts on any subject you wish.

There are no limits in regard to length. The only limitation is that, for reasons so far unexplained to me, my blog does not take photographs, animations, videos or pictures of any kind. I deal in words.

Please accept my invitation. Send your entry to my email address dbdacoba@aol.com I will copy and paste it into my journal and it will be displayed promptly. You may sign your name or not as you wish, and you may leave a link to your blog or your email or not, as you wish. I will do NO editing or censoring. Eloquence is not necessary, mind or heart or both is all.

I have 13 Guest Authors so far. Check them out.
All are welcome. Admission is free.

DB - The Vagabond
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