The Voice

A now middle aged man has devoted his time for years to being a recluse, to meditate for hours on end each day, chant, and pray, just to be with God in the only way he knew how. The man rarely goes out, does not interact with others, only wants his isolation with the spiritual world. One day, deep in meditation, the man hears the voice of God telling him to go out in the field near his hut and move this big boulder. Immediately, the man stopped his meditation to follow the wish of God. He went to the boulder, leaned against it, pushing and pushing for hours with nothing happening. He went back daily for a week to do God's will, and still it wouldn't budge. Finally, in meditation, he questioned this command, and received an answer---Look at you, after one week you have more energy, more muscles, more color in your face. Meditation is good, but I just wanted you to go outside, feel the sun, do something physical, be in touch with something real...if I had wanted the boulder moved, I would've moved it myself!

This morning, I sat in meditation, though my meditation is filled with trying to stop the rampid thoughts in my head, but on this Sunday morning, I did not hear God or Buddha or my Mother, but I heard my own voice telling me to stop complaining about the food here, and just go out and do something about it. In another few weeks, it'll be too late to plant anything, so I get a big bag, and Keoki and I go off to the school garden to pick up some compost, then come back to re-dig the plots due to all the rain lately, plant my seeds, and build a little green house effect, but all I really want to do is chill on this day.

I push myself to get going after having a delicious pot of green tea and pretending I'm reading the the NY Sunday times! Hmmm, let's see what show I can fantasize about seeing today!  So, instead of taking my wheel barrel, the bag and I go, and some of the kids help pile in the compost, break up some good sticks for me, and help heave the heavy load onto my back for my walk home. I wish Keoki could carry this, he looks too happy prancing around and having everyone dote over him. On my way home, there are two guys behind me, and instead of helping me, they are laughing at me. I stop several times to readjust the bag, but this time I can't hold the bag, the sticks, and my pot of tea in. Trying not to slip in the big puddles from the rain, there is mud up to my shins, and I start peeing in my pants. The guys are laughing harder now because my pants are wet, the sun is getting hotter, and I just want to get home. Ok, so I'm struggling a bit here! I walk home holding my heavy parcel of cow maneur, holding my legs together so I won't pee more, and I'm ready to smack someone with these sticks if they don't stop laughing. Finally, I get home, and I'm now laughing so hard that I never did make it to the bathroom. Maybe this is a little personal, I don't usually pee in my pants, and here in Mmathethe, people pee all over the place, so why can't I just pee in my pants.

After my 10 minute fiasco back to my home, I do my hard work, sweat, watch the seeds go in to do their magic, and in all honesty, when it was all said and done---I felt fantastic!  God was right to tell that guy to get outside and smell the roses, to do something physical, move, breath in fresh air---it's all good for the soul!   I hope now I can chill and meditate that the Gods help those veggies grow and be healthy so I can stop complaining!