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There’s nothing like a morning at the Department of Motor Vehicles to gauge how you’re doing and, thanks to my tool kit of spiritual practices, my curiosity, love of people and sense of humor – I not only passed with flying colors but have a tale worth telling.
Since I am not really in a position to support two cars, I advertised my beloved jeep on Craig’s list and went with the first offer of my bottom line. After a few calls back and forth during which the buyers were clearly frustrated with how things work here, I arranged to meet them at the DMV at 8 in the morning.
Since they were an hour late, it was lucky that I brought the perfect book: Heal Thy Self: Lessons on Mindfulness in Medicine by Saki Santorelli– an account of a 6 week mindfulness meditation class. The hour passed quickly, thanks not only to the book but to the collection of local talent that gathered to deal with their cars. As usual, there was a star – this time a witty complainer who kept everyone entertained with bets on when the territorial court lady would show up (9:20) and on how things in the territory were going to hell in a hand basket and much more. In between listening, I looked around at the people on line, the people coming and going and it was an amazing sight to behold. Some were clearly disgruntled, in a rush and, expecting an ordeal, nodded in agreement at the entertainer’s complaints. Others were calm, collected and like the tall, very buff, handsome man who caught my eye, exuded well being, patience, good humor and equanimity.
Most people came through the door, found their lines and took their places, muttering good morning under their breath. Others, like the young woman, who book in hand, said good morning in a warm, friendly voice, lit up the whole room as did the joker who said a loud bi-lingual Morning,morning, Buen Dias and cracked jokes that had everyone in stitches.
My buyers showed up and at every step of the process dug in their heels. When I suggested using my insurance company, right across the road, they told me they’d decided to use a company in Red Hook and relented only when they realized that it would add another couple of hours to their day (and mine) to traverse the island and return to the DMV. There was a lot of door slamming, going outside to smoke cigarettes, whispered conferences between them and what felt like a toxic energy spill that I side stepped by deciding to keep my mouth shut, by moving to another seat and by practicing what the book I was reading reminded me about being non-judgmental and present to all and everything – to good the bad and the ugly.
I actually had a pretty good old time. I ran into several people I hadn’t seen in ages, handed out my business cards, found out that a friend is leaving island and selling his house – information that I shared with a friend looking to buy a house and I set up a date with a former neighbor.
It was crystal clear that how people fared had little to do with the DMV and everything to do with them. Looking up from my book about a class in mindfulness, I realized that I was in a class that that had just shifted it’s location to the DMV where I was really trying to encounter everything through the lens of mindfulness and to decide anew each and every minute to abstain from the long held reactive habits that wanted to label these people, judge them, dislike them, get angry and go off and to decide anew each minute to open and soften my heart, to feel compassion for this couple who were struggling with being new to the island and with god only knows what else. I knew I didn’t want to engage or be in the midst of their toxic spill but clicking into mindfulness mode I was free of the anger and judgment that would have been my toxic spill and it fell so different and so good that I wanted to share it with you.
For the past week I’ve been listening (as my daughter used to say, 24/7) to a CD called the Infinite Field by the beautiful, talented Pru Clearwater who is visiting from Nashville. Her bell like voice and soothing arrangements are like mantras and the words to the one that came to my mind in that most unlikely of places the DMV are, repeated over and over mantra style: The world is a beautiful place, the world is a beautiful place, the world is a beautiful place, I see beautiful things, I hear beautiful things, I find beautiful things sung over and over and over again – Amen, Aho, It is so.
Click on the link below to listen to Beautiful World by Pru Clearwater – a great thing to download and listen to at the DMV or anywhere.
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