Rennes, France – excerpted letter to nephew Tino –
Wednesday, July 7, 2021
01:15 https://youtu.be/8H6wnnRgtPE
I’d spent more than $20 on a salad, coffee and cookie, and I’d FINALLY gotten money, my ticket on a high-speed train saving me $$$ in car rental and 5+ hours driving! And ALL of that was far more than millions in the world have!
Deep Breathing – Gratitude – Choices
Hey man, I completely understand your mom’s trepidations. I had an extreme fear of being in ocean water over my head for many years; it was nearly three decades before I got over that with meditation and scuba diving. First came scuba diving in 1998 in Cartagena, Columbia, of all places. Then, I learned how to rise above fears with deep breathing. Like my Scuba Instructor said years later when getting my Open Water Certification on Koh Phi Phi in Thailand in 2014: “There’s nothing accomplished getting scared (stressed), just remember to always breath in a deep and consistent even flow. Once you’ve mastered your breathing you can handle whatever might be a potential threat. You begin losing yo’ shit, you jeopardize your air, and drastically limit your ability to manage whatever situation arises.” Or something to that effect.
It’s primarily the same exact mantra for meditating.
Breathe.
Empty the Mind.
Opens Doors to Solving whatever problem and even greater healing.
Hopefully your moms will find a way to overcome those fears. It’s like my instructor also said; “The more you go, the more comfortable you get.” I still have a slight discomfort with deep water, but as long as I have a snorkel and fins or talk myself down with deep breathing, I’m good. I tell myself I can free swim a long distance if necessary.
Yesterday’s Rant was lessened with breathing and me telling myself, “I’ll get passed this. There are people who work so much harder, climbing up the side of a mountain or dealing with major shit just to have a bucket of well water or a little change $$ that is NEVER nearly enough to feed or clothe herself and family.”
Really! Why am I complaining?
I have a phone where I’m communicating in three different languages, across the globe setting up accommodations, re-connecting with dozens I haven’t see. In more than 25 years and learning how to navigate and THRIVE in perhaps dozens more countries…
..and, if all else fails, I have dozens of family and friends that have bailed me out without hesitation and are here for me like most can’t or fail to appreciate.
I’m grateful for small things.
Clean air, fresh vegetables, options (just keep it to three) and my health!
I
Love
My
Life
Yet, it still pisses me off that, as veteran to travel as I am, I still make Rookie Mistakes.
Normally, I’d have tripped to the train station a day or two before to do “Reconnaissance” – ReCON!!!, but I’d relaxed and trusted the technology (buying a train ticket online from one station miles away from the RIGHT one – BOTH begin with M), and trusting my final clicks were correct.
Shit happens.
Some because we fail to ReCON, others due to antiquated systems or human failures.
Errors with my initial canceled flight Paris from LAX to CDG (Charles de Gaulle) was NOT my fault. I’d checked at 2:35 the morning of (July 1, 2021) a mere 10 hours before departure and saw it was all GOOD!! Everything on schedule. How was I to know they’d canceled flights a month before and failed to contact customers? Who calls an airlines or bus company or train station asking, “Just curious, are you still operating? Yeah, I checked the Internet, but, ya know, I just thought maybe you’d stopped flying?”
Several Deep Breathes during multiple phone calls, emails and LAX Airport Info Customer Service later, and I was settled…yet again.
I had options which millions the world over…don’t.
Camping out for next flight might’ve been an option, or calling my sister-in-law, Lisa, to pick me up and return the next day….
But, by then, my 72-hour Covid Test would’ve expired.
Again, fortunate enough to have a credit card available to buy last minute flight with Turkish Airlines. Sure it’s a huge DENT to the wallet, and an additional 9 hours travel time (layover in Istanbul, Turkey). But, I made it. I’ll work out getting reimbursed from other airlines later. Not expecting much sad on that front.
Side note: as long as you have both shots, no one asked me about Test!!!
So, I guess the other major Life Lesson: There are many things OUT of our control, and often the only things we can control is how we respond to adversities or any circumstances good or bad. Some go BALLISTIC, yelling and creating a scene; basically Being a Karen! While others remain polite, reign in that vein-bulging irate BEAST that wants to escape and rip everyone a new asshole and devour hearts and lungs and those seemingly useless brains. But the rational side says, “(S)he is just the messenger. They did NOT fuck up my planes and they are doing their best to rectify a shitty situation.”
OR
“This has happened, not to me personally or because of who I am, but shit happens.”
OR
“This person is having a BAD day. He/she messed things up, but we’re all human. Give her/him a PASS.”
Smile.
Thank them, using their name, because that’s the first thing you did, created a bond of humanity instead of treating them transactually. They are a REAL interface, with emotions, desires and concerns, so Rafi or Jacunda or Whomever perhaps needs a PASS for this blunder.
And be thankful you have functional legs, arms, eyes, ears and people who Got Yo’ Back!!
Let your mom know, “You’re not going to drown. I have an extra Regulator, the instructors are here, watching us all. Remember your hand signals for ‘I’m in Distress’, breathe figuratively or, when applicable (under water different rules), literally…and we Got Yo’ Back!”
Peace ~
Abrazos ~
Tio Shawn
Europe: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2pG1WhjsTCKKmdU3N9finbyj-5UXdz5G
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