When Standing Back Is Actually Good for You!

Another July 4th has come and gone with all the hoopla the Holiday entails. And though I love fireworks as much as the next guy, it can be very hard on dogs. Our four-legged friends freak when they hear the bombs bursting in air. I, on the other hand, am reminded of a troubling incident from my childhood. Now, it didn’t happen on July 4th and there were no dogs around. It wasn’t even something that directly happened to me. But it caused enough concern that I’ve always been leery about fireworks.

Bottle Rockets

When I was a boy, a friend of mine was hanging around with some older teens who were shooting off bottle rockets. Debris landed in his right eye. He was instantly blinded. And though he and I were friends, I never asked him about that afternoon. Maybe I was afraid of upsetting him. Maybe, I was scared to find out how he really felt. Or maybe, that’s just how kids are. Ignoring the messy details in life. Making do until they grow up.

Memories

Okay. So not all memories are good. But, they can be instructive. For a kid (me) who was already deaf in one ear, the thought of losing sight in an eye was scary. My friend’s accident taught me that life can be unfair. Bad things can happen. Especially, if you’re not paying attention. Like if you’re looking up to watch a bottle rocket go off. You could be blinded. Or maybe walking down a New York City street. You could be mugged. Or perhaps, smelling the roses. There might be a bee nearby.

The Power of Now

So lately, I’ve been reading Eckart Tolle’s, “The Power of Now”. It’s intense. So intense that I seem to be only able to manage a few pages each day as I struggle to absorb the wisdom. But one of the key points is we must not be ruled by time, past and future. Such preoccupation leads to anxiety and dis-ease. Hmm? There may be a lot for me to learn here. I like the idea of freeing oneself from dis-ease. Perhaps that’s the source of my intense snacking habit. In the interim, I will practice looking up the next time fireworks are on display. After all, I just might be standing far enough away for the show to be safe!