DAY 8: For What It's Worth

And week two begins. Day 30 of 37. Seven down, 30 to go.

First, I am excited to share that I did my homework from yesterday - where I sit in a cafe and listen and record what I hear. Although it was in German, I actually got a lot down. And it was fun putting my poem together in German. Here it is, with the translation to follow:

Cafe Talk - Aufmerksamkeit

Bis du zufrieden?

Nebel, sind alles.

Fragen. Fisch.

Ich weiss.

Ich denke es genau.

Zugehört.

Echt. Ja.

Sehr schön.

Es ist witzig.

Translation:

Cafe Talk - Pay Attention

Are you satisfied?

Fog, that's all.

Questions. Fish.

I know.

I think that exactly.

Listened to.

True. Yes.

Very nice.

It's funny.

So, for diving into TODAY, to practice inclusion. To look the homeless in the eye and engage. To open up and receive.

Before I share the challenge, I have to share a story from Paulo Coelho, one of my favorite authors. In his book, "Like the Flowing River" he has several short stories and essays. The one I am going to mention "Who Would Like This 20 Dollar Bill?" fits to this idea of value, despite appearances.

Coelho writes about a professor who holds up a 20 dollar bill and asks the classroom, who could like this? Everyone's hands go up. Then he crumples it, and asks again. Hands still go up. Then he drops it on the ground and stamps on it, repeatedly. He swears at it and insults it. He asks again, and most people's hands go up. His closing remarks are,

'It doesn't matter what I do to this money. It is still a 20 dollar bill. So often in our lives, we are crumpled, trampled, ill-treated, insulted, and yet, despite all that, we are still worth the same.'

I found this a very powerful story, especially in the light of all that is happening around the world. A reminder of my own self-worth and that of others.

The challenge for today involved a lot of writing and wonderful deep thinking and playfulness. It was a lot, and you can skip some if you want, but here were the instructions:

• Write for 2 minutes about a favorite childhood game for 2 minutes. Describe it and who you played it with.
• Then for another 2 minutes tell about a secret hiding place. When did you go there?
• Another 2 minutes, write about your greatest loss. Where did you feel it in your body?
• 2 minutes (see a pattern here?) write about your first love. About the sounds and colors and other things you associate with that experience.
• Last 2 minutes write about your dreams. What do you yearn for?

Read all that you've written and then imagine that every other human being has the same richness in experience, memory, and story. We are all complex, textured, layered beings.

Wow, I can't even begin to share what I wrote, and that's not even important. But the key was the same as the 20 dollar bill story - the incredible richness we have around us in human experience. I feel like someone took off my sunglasses!

I'll leave you with a favorite movie of mine.
'Validation'