An endless supply of human activity. In the morning, the garbage men haul away trash in their big blue trucks. The street sweeper cleans up the sidewalk. A girl walks by with headphones, texting on her phone. An electric bicycle zooms past. The rising sun is still behind the buildings as the world wakes up.
At night, the crowds come in. Navymen huddle together in groups. Raucous young men stumble out of the bar. Someone drops a bottle of something, and the yelling ensues. The sound of car tires over cobblestone is endless as people vie for parking spots in this prime location. Motor bikes zip in and out of traffic. Groups of friends gather for a fun night out.
I’m in this place as a guest. Simply a visitor. I am the cat sitter. The temporary help. I watch the world go by lately with a feeling of sadness. The way things could be feels like a weight.
But really–isn’t it just this? The cars go by, the people cross the street, everyone coexists, life keeps happening from day to day. The troubles in my mind are only in my mind. My spiritual side tells me not to attach to those troubles, that I should just be fully present to all that endless supply of human activity. No feeling sorry for yourself or anyone else. Just be.
Well, sometimes that’s harder than it sounds. But as long as we keep coming back to this moment, I think we’ll be alright.