Airport Taxi

Sometimes it feels like I drive to the airport a lot, and I’m never the one getting on the plane. I am the person who drops off or picks up, never the one who is getting out of the car.

This is from a book I’m reading called Awakening by Anthony De Mello:

Someone asked the Master the meaning of the phrase “The Enlightened person travels without moving.”

Said the Master, “Sit at your window each day and observe the ever-changing scenery in your backyard as the earth carries you through its annual trip around the sun.”

I like to travel, or at least I think I would like to; I haven’t done much of it. I like to marvel at the beauty of the world. I like to see and experience new things. But it is also the idea that by being somewhere else, I am temporarily released from the monotony and responsibilities of my current life. No more “I shoulds”, because I can’t!

I want to learn from the Master. I want to learn there are no “I shoulds” except for the ones I place on myself. I want to learn that I can sit where I am, and observe and enjoy and be thankful for the scenery in my own backyard.

“Ever-changing scenery” – in the day-to-day, it doesn’t seem like much changes, but I know it does. I also pray for the wisdom to be aware of how fleeting time is, and to experience, accept, and enjoy each moment given to me, without carrying forward regrets of the past or harboring worries about what lies ahead.

May you find bliss today - in your own backyard.