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This the Last day
The day is dawning, the grey light in the east has a slight orange glow as the sun climbs above the horizon. Turning to the shrine I light the candles and use one to light the incense. As I dedicate my practice to the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha I watch the smoke rise briefly then put the glowing end of the stick into the sand snuffing it out. The air is already too heavy to absorb more particulate matter.
The air quality alert color has been red for weeks possibly a month by now. For the last few days the humidity has been so high for so long with temperatures in the mid eighties overnight and well into the upper nineties-low hundreds during the day.
I sit on my cushion and strike the bowl. The ring seems to go on for a long time, I strike it twice more, once as each tone fades. I breathe out relaxing. I say my prayers and then just try to rest my mind. I feel the pressure of the last few days ease as suddenly I am laughing and happy to see friends gathered around and as they set out trays of iced teas, cold fruit salads, and cheese and vegetables with fresh bread the steam rising in the air as it is sliced. I breathe out, letting go of such a pleasant memory.
The phone rings, I feel the irritation rise again and breathe that out. It is time to get up and go anyway. I suppose my meditation time spent on a fun memory is as good a use of my time as sitting simply accepting that I have survived one more night. I say “hi Steph, it’s time to get moving I know. Be right there”. Steph lives only down the block and I have been giving her a ride to the metro on my way to work for a few years now. She is sweet, used to be idealistic, now she is as depressed as the rest of us. I have probably been a bad influence on her, maybe just a few too many reality checks when her optimism would drive me over the edge.
Steph is standing outside when I get there. “You know Steph you can wait inside and come out when I get here. The air is really bad and you should stay in the air conditioning until I get here.” “I know but my dad says we can’t afford the power so he has the temp set at 84 so ya, it’s a little cleaner air in there but its so hot I can’t take it; plus they are arguing again”.
We drive on in silence except for the traffic condition reports from my app. We have to take a detour a few blocks to…
