Atmic Bottom line.

This blog is not gushing out like an oil spill. I must choose my words with caution which isn’t like me at all

At the tip of my tougue

May you always abide

Saraswati, Bhagavathi

In my speech

Will you reside

The Colonel and party arrived yesterday almost bumping into me in the narrow hallway. But before the Colonel arrived, the fireman and his father came with their truck to move some furniture.

Now I have these prejudices as most of you know. I am a died in the wool democrat and suspicious of republicans generally. I have almost deified Obama. I’ll stop here because my programmer doesn’t like it when I get political.

You see, this fireman is married to a wonderful grand niece who is everyone’s favourite and rightly so. She is always there for my sister.

“Fireman!, humph,” I growled. “ why not a doctor or a lawyer?”

In India no one is satisfied to marry their daughter off to anyone who isn’t at least a soft wear engineer. Post graduates are always better.

So finally I met this republican fireman and was swept off my feet. He and his father came into my sister’s room all 6ft 4 of him, smiling from ear to ear and with shining eyes. My sister’s room is about the size of my room in Puttaparthi. Her computer and TV take up a big part of it.

Anyway they came striding in, filing up the room with their loud bass voices and tall frames. But his words were kind and courteous, honouring my sister and….petting the little dog. I slipped out to my apartment as quietly as I could.

About an hour later guess who came through the door? It was the giant firefighter.

“Just wanted to say good bye,” he said

“Oh…”

“We loaded the truck but we’ll have to come back for the table.”

“Do you really want the table?”

“Grandma wants us to take it so that’s good enough for me.”

I agreed and jumped off my bed and stood up.”

I got a huge warm hug from the super firefighter who answers the 911 calls as a first responder.

I want both of you to come to dinner one of these days.” He said smiling

“That sounds great, thanks.”

Right, see you later” he said leaving me with much love and happiness. His family is from the Dominican Republic and he’s second generation fireman and it is a very cultured family as shown by his natural courtesy.

I sat in my apartment smiling at his sweetness and realizing that I really need to think through a few of my values. That realization became more apparent as the day progressed.

I wanted to retrieve another statue of Quan Yin I had seen on the high shelf in the breakfast room..

My sister said, “Sure Susie, just get that little step ladder out of the hall closet. I’ll hold it for you”

I went into the hallway, by the telephone, opened the closet door and as I was reaching inside….the Colonel and his party marched into the narrow hallway, through the side door. My nephew who used to be a skinny kid is now as huge as the great fireman but they are in no way alike.

The Colonel must have seen me as he almost tripped over me.

I think he murmured something ver y quietly like, “good to see you” but he kept walking not looking to the right or left. His two kids, equally large, marched after him with the same manners. I slipped out again to my apartment.

I’ll admit to being a bit shocked. The colonel had said he would be at least civil to me and I guess I expected that. I wasn’t hurt because I knew he really didn’t like me and I didn’t care. I wasn’t angry because what do you expect from one of these hard nosed selfish republicans.

Back in my protected environment again, I took Swami’s picture in hand.

“I am a Sai Graduate” I said aloud. “So how do you want me to handle this?”

I sat looking out the large picture window at the butterfly trees and the fluttering golden butterflies and two blue jays hopped off the wall and began picking around in the ferns. The tall green trees in the next compound blew gently in the breeze and the little grey morning doves cooed in the allay.

“House Arrest” I murmured. “House Arrest and I love it. I can stay out here and talk to my Swami all day and read my prayers and watch romantic comedies, finish my blog and eat sugar free pudding. I’ll have a GREAT TIME being here with Swami just like at home in Prasanthi.”

In a little while my wonderful sister came out. I told her about my meeting with her VIP son. You know she is exactly like all Indian mothers everywhere. They spoil their sons and treat them like royalty. I thought it was just because they were hoping to be cared for by their sons but my sister isn’t so now I’m convinced it’s more than that. Mothers just idolize their sons that’s all.

She said, “I am going to pray that my son and his family can see what a wonderful person, a spiritual person, you’ve turned out to be. Don’t feel bad, I think he will come out here.”

“Oh God, please don’t let him. I’m so very happy out here with the butterflies and birds. The frig is full and I have plenty of food. I have frozen lasagne and pudding and I bought some bean burgers too. I thought I’d hve a nice break….not that I need one.”

But I could see the writing on the wall. Swami didn’t bring me here to the USA to watch the butterflies but to grow in spirituality. Swami and my sister have merged in my mind and I think both are determined to see me ALL GOWN UP whether I like it or not.

Ok, let’s play a game, grown up or not. Where is the Atma in this story? Who said, ‘everywhere’? That’s not fair to give away the answer.

Atma is the bottom line.

It’s easy to see the Atma in my precious sister and in the shining eyes of the ‘first responder’ who spends his days saving lives, and I know that I am the Atma, at least sometimes I know that. But what about the Air Force Colonel (who really isn’t a full colonel) Is he the Atma because of his exalted rank? No Is he the Atma because he is a skilled pilot fighting for our freedom? No. He isn’t even the Atma because he is teaching me an important lesson in humility., is he? No. He isn’t the atma because of his attributes at all but he simply he IS the Atma. Colonel Swami, I salute you!