Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Heroes on the travelator of life

I spent an illuminating time down in Sydney in August at the Hay House Writers Conference. So many inspiring authors and presenters my little notebook was busting. This little gem has found its way out of the notebook. Enjoy...

The conference is over and I'm taking a breather at my long time friend's home where I 'd been staying. I would be flying home that afternoon but he was at work and I lounged lazily before getting ready and heading home. Many of the inspirational messages of the speakers written into my notebook with a ... to be 'tasted' (tested) rolled around to see if it 'fits' before being swallowed. 

Cheryl Richardson had said let people be your hero, it makes them happy; and others had finally gotten through to me about the gift of receiving and Suze Orman - women tend to spend their money on everyone else and short change themselves, plus the give up and give to God stop thinking you're CEO of the universe etc etc etc

.... The unfolding story - if you have time....

I had 'planned' to take a bus to the city a one hour trip + a hike up to the main road to catch it, then a train to the airport, a 20 minute trip + hike through the airport to check in, and be there checked in an hour before take off. 

Somehow :wink: I lost track of time, somewhere in the back of my mind 3.30 pm was 'playing'. Knowing I would need a good few hours to get there when I stopped lazing and writing and went to get ready I checked my itinerary again and ..... oh crap!!! 3.30 was my arrival time - not my departure time!!!

I'm usually really punctual and super organised, I don't like to inconvenience people. So this, I was aware, was things 'lining up' as an opportunity for me to put some of these irkier nuances I'd been resisting, into practice. 

I raced to get ready... and to pack ... :oops: and shower :shock: ... and it's now 12.30 pm and I'm running out the door to race up to the bus stop, pack on back that did weigh 10 kg on the way down but it and my briefcase are now heavily laden with books. I now have 30 minutes to get to the airport and check in  for my flight and the math is not looking good! Of course the plane ticket is a non-refundable one because there is no way I wasn't flying down, and no way I wasn't flying back.
 
As I turn the bend and can see the main road... the bus sails passed. I say 'oh God!' and then laugh.

I start to think about the 'let people be your hero' to strains of Bonnie Tyler's I need a hero... I'm holding out for a hero...... I get to the bus stop, look at the schedule and see I am not going to make 'that' plane, if I wait for the next bus, not by hours. 

I text my friend at his work to ask the number for a taxi and get no reply (I get his apology later - he's having a massage at work because he's stressed... of course he is!!)

I turn and a cab flashes past me and I wave it down. It was like one of those moments when time stands still and all your options and spiderwebs of consequences by response flood out before you. I was in absolute awareness that the universe was at play here and I could (if I chose) employ faith and enjoy the ride that was going to be chaotic whichever way it unfolded.

The cab stopped a little way up and I lugged my bags and asked the driver how much and how long to the airport - he said at least $100 and probably about an hour. Now the bus and train ride was going to cost $15.50 and never get me there in time, the cab was going to cost me at least $110 with surcharge and 'probably' not get me there in time.

In the timelessness of clarity I had time to assess the pros and cons of how it actually 'is' in the unfolding of my day. One of the things that flashed through me was 'wasting good money' on a cab, and part of the argument for that was it was a 'luxury' cab (not meant for the likes of me). I went to walk away and changed my mind hearing all these 'self help gurus' screaming their particular messages at me - interestingly in the voice of Suze Orman I hear - your time and comfort is valuable - spend the money.

I went back and said to the driver: 'This is going to be tight, but you can be my hero for the day, if you like!' The total combination of all my gained 'wisdoms' in one statement!

He said, 'Okay, I'll try' (without really having a clue what I was talking about and likely thinking 'I've got a live one here') and looked a little bemused as I threw my bags in the back and jumped into the front. 

As we drove off he asked what time my plane left and when I told him ...well then he 'got' why he could be my hero for the day and looked pained. I laughed and said, 'let's just do our best, it's fine.' He then told me he had taken a couple catching a 1.30 pm plane to the airport from where I was.. at 10 am this morning. Sydney has a lot of traffic and traffic jams.

I realised I can help him here - I'm an expert happy person in traffic jams... yes? 

We exchanged where we were from, how we came to be here, all the niceties and connecting and I asked him if he ever got stressed with the traffic. He said very much so sometimes, when his passengers get upset with it and he can't change it and it just gets worse and worse. So I told him about how I used to get stressed until I gave up trying to control the universe, the traffic lights and the traffic, and that now I sing and dance in my seat, and I was laughing and he was laughing and then I asked him if he could sing and he laughed more. He said his passengers would call the company and complain, so we laughed some more. 

Then he told me all the things people call his company and complain about, things he cannot control, and how sad it makes him then because he does his best.
'And today, you get to be my hero,' I smiled as our energies of humanness touched. in the honesty of our sharing.
'Maybe, today I get to be a hero,' he smiled.

I picked up a company card from the dashboard asked him his name and cab number and wrote it on the card and told him I would call the company and tell them he was doing a great job of being my hero. He laughed and said 'You would do that?' I agreed that people complain more than compliment, but even if I didn't make my plane he would still be my hero for the day, and I would still call the company and tell them so. (I actually emailed them instead so they'd have it in writing)

He looked at the time and said "I think you'll make it". 

I wasn't so sure but we enjoyed the rest of the journey anyway, him telling me he wouldn't take another fare because he could end up anywhere and had to be back where he picked me up by 3 pm to collect his kids from school and go home. 

By the time we drove into the airport it was 1.28 pm. I left the driver with a cheery, 'Thank you so much for being my hero today!' and he smiled and said "Thank you for letting me try." - How cool is that????

I knew they would close the gate at 1.30 and I still had to get through security, check in my baggage, find the gate etc etc

I would 'need' a few more heroes - but that's no problem!! Ask (without attachment and expectation, and with respect of not presuming to answer for another) and you shall receive!
 
The security person to the luggage and seat allocation check in, on being told by the check in lady my flight was closed, started to 'escort' me to the re-booking counter. As he was explaining it to me I said 'Are you sure you don't want to be my hero in this?' He looked at me like I was off the planet and was about to give me a firm 'No' and pointing me through the strippy thing they keep people in line with, when the lady at the check in counter yelled out.."Hey, lady for Brisbane - I can get you on if you don't have any luggage to check in". 

I went, 'Great!! That' great!! YOU're my hero!!" and left the security guy holding up the strap thingy that keeps people in line/s.

I went back to the lady, handed over my itinerary and said "I really appreciate you doing this for me, I am so sorry for inconveniencing you". 

She said, 'No problem we just can't do luggage check ins this late, I can squeeze you on if you run' and issued my boarding pass. 

I said smiling, 'That's great, thank you. What will I do with this?'... and held up my pack. It was absolutely bigger than carry on, and I had my briefcase as well, but I had paid additional for check in baggage. She weakened - at that moment do you know I actually felt her wanting to pee her pants!!! That tingly feeling way deep inside that 'niggles' when something arises that requires courage and 'getting over yourself' for another, at least that's what it feels like for me, and it makes me smile to recognise it in others in those moments.

She squirmed and then looking at my open smile she overcame it, shook her head and said like a school girl planning a prank with a mate "Take it with you - run or you WILL miss it!'
I started to hurry off and yelled 'Thank you for being a hero' and left her shaking her head, smiling after me; and I noticed the security guy still holding up the strappy thingy that's there to keep people in line, can't have folks stepping out of line and thinking for themselves can we?

So goodness knows how many gates away - I had time while walking very very very fast on one of those travelator things, to wonder how much quicker it (technically) is than on the ground. When you are moving and it is also moving, in the same direction.

And it seemed a strange thing to be wondering in such a situation, but I now think it's important and related back to the stories of Don Miguel Ruiz, (The Four Agreements) and Neale Donald Walsch (Conversations with God) from the last day of the conference.

If one is moving with the flow of creation - if you are moving and creation is moving in a known direction of course it's going to be easier and quicker to get to where you're going.
 
Of course no one or no thing is going to presume to decide for you (NDW on free will). 

You can just stand still on them oblivious to it and let 'creation' take you, or you can knowingly join with the energy of life and make the going easier and quicker by fully participating - as I had been in the dilemma of my own making. 

Of course you can also stand on them facing the wrong way and wondering why you're not getting anywhere. No choice is wrong... :wink: ... it just brings a different experience.

So I reach the boarding gate five minutes before take off. I have run up the runway screaming as they were removing the stairs from the side of a plane, but that was long ago and times have changed a lot. 

I move to the side of the 'enquiry' desk while three staff members are chatting oblivious to me. I get up the courage to say to one of them, a youngish lady, 'Excuse me, I wonder if you could give me some advice'. 

She's immediately task oriented and ready to be helpful with her wisdom. 

 I smile, fighting back the urge to have an offstage giggle with the universe and calmly say, 'I appreciate I checked in late and the lady downstairs said it was too late to check in the baggage I've paid to bring with me'. 

She nods in agreement with her colleague's assessment. Then I tell her that her colleague downstairs told me to bring it with me, and now I realise, it's too big for cabin luggage and wonder if she can advise me what to do with it. 

She is absolutely a company-girl, and a good girl. She is policy all down the line. 

So she tells me I have to take it back downstairs and check it in, before I can board the plane. I smile.
She has no idea. I am going to offer her an opportunity to be a hero.

In a tone of absolute acceptance and good humour I  tell her I appreciate that I was late. I appreciate all the safety aspects that she's rattling off as to why I cannot take it into the cabin, I appreciate that no, it absolutely is not going to fit in their little holding thing for cabin luggage that she's pointing to telling me to go and try and fit it into. I absolutely appreciate her job difficulties and that by being late I have added to those. I apologise. 

"But... I wonder if there is anything you can do, or advise me to do, to solve the very obvious problem". Smile genuinely and warmly.

She purses her lips - do I feel a pee-tingly-feeling coming on? I smile and say I really am sorry and I really do appreciate anything you can advise me to do now, 'You would be my hero in this if you can tell me what we can do with it right now and I would really appreciate it'. (not what I 'should' have done, it's too late for that).

She says so tightly it's incredibly quiet: "Give it to me."I say: 'Pardon?" I genuinely wasn't sure if she had really said that.

She says "We're not supposed to do this up here, you are supposed to check it in downstairs' I nod agreeably absolutely seeing it from her position and cheekily thinking where was that security man with his strippy thing to keep people in line when you need him!

She continues,  'If you give it to me I will check it in here and have someone take it down and load it into the cargo hold of the plane. You can just pick it up on the carousel on the other end'.

I say 'Thank you so much. I really appreciate it. You are a hero.' She smiles almost in spite of herself and somehow deep inside in our connection she wonders 'What just happened here?'

I reflected on the plane that like love, like joy, like best friends we somehow think there is a finiteness to 'being' a hero, or finding a hero. 

And like love, like joy, like best friends these are not nouns - they are verbs - they are doing things and we are the ones who create them, allow them, encourage them to BE all that they truly can be. They are the actions of a person willing to enact courage, nobility, fortitude, usually for the benefit of others. And, they are infinite and not diminished by the sheer number of them or of times of being them.

Which brought me back to Neale Donald Walsch who said that 'Doing, is an excuse for BEING who you really are.' And we all know we are all heroes and all in need of heroes.
Well, at least I know now. 

(c) J. Cooper 2012

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