"Meet Phil"

I did...while out running by the psych today. He was probably 65 years old, in a wheelchair and clearly a resident of the facility. He called out to me when I was still 50 feet away from him but because I was running I really didn't pay much attention. I don't like to stop for anyone and particularly not at the hospital where you can meet some very unique personalities. And so I prepared to give him a courteous brushoff. For some reason when I got closer there was something about the expression on his face that had me rethink that plan. What the hell I said to myself. If I could not afford to take 10 seconds out of my life to acknowledge this harmless old gentlemen who clearly just wanted to say hello, then I had something wrong. And so I stopped. It was at this point that I realized that despite the fact that it was minus 8 with a major wind chill, his coat wasn't buttoned up, and he wore neither hat nor gloves. I introduced myself and then in our small talk suggested that it was pretty cold out. He gripped my hand firmly, smiled a crooked smile and said, "no sonny it's all in your head". Of course my first reaction was that I wasn't the one living in a psychiatric hospital and as such how could I have the problem in my head? As soon as I trotted away I realized that he was absolutely correct. I know that it was freaking cold outside and I know that there's all kinds of other tough stuff in life, but whatever it is, the fact remains that your attitude in response to this "stuff" is "all in your head sonny!"

Thanks Phil!

I've also been thinking about this "Just For Today" idea of doing someone a good turn without being found out. I wracked my brain and can honestly say that I have no memory of ever having done this in my entire life. I think I've done a few things that may in the normal course of events be considered unselfish but always there has been some kind of feedback...some kind of reward. Is that truly unselfish then? And aren't we as humans programmed to need some kind of positive reward for our behaviour? Think about this. Would Mother Teresa still be Mother Teresa if she kept all of her wonderfullness hidden from the world. And what about that Jesus guy? How hard did he try to go around incognito? And if you really want to mess up your mind think about this. How could we find out if anyone in the whole world every managed this anonymous do-gooding because no one could admit it or even get caught at it without undoing it. And to take that one step further how can anyone even suggest that there is some kind of personal gratification in the act since no one can ever talk about it? Whoa! I'm getting dizzy! I think I'm gonna give it a try however and you'll just have to read my face to see if it had any effect. After all, "It's all in my mind!"

"The charity that hastens to proclaim its good deeds, ceases to be charity, and is only pride and ostentation."---William Hutton

"As I give to the world, so the world will give to me."---Kenneth L. Holmes

love
peter