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By Ann Alexander
Hanging on the wall above my computer and desk, is a treasured antique Chinese architectural piece that I have enjoyed living with for years. I have always liked it immensely, choosing it through moves and radical downsizing; but lately it has been truly speaking to me.
Picture it about 30 inches wide, 7 inches high. Carved of old cinnabar colored wood, there are three panels. The middle panel has five dancing Chinese figures, highlighted with gold leaf. Each has arms in motion and one foot raised, to show them dancing exuberantly, joyfully. This Chinese art recently came to life for me again. After being on I-45 South. Right here in Houston. On a hot August Saturday.
My plan was to go from I-10 through the downtown freeway exchange and onto I-45 south.
Sat on the downtown area part of the exchange at zero mph for a while – typical; but finally came to I-45, which mainly had travel time of 0-25 mph that day for a lot of my journey.
First, I gave thanks for air-conditioning as we all tried to move along on the veins of concrete. Then I noticed I wasn’t getting upset but was just looking at the beautiful clouds, listening to a Suite by Ravel on classical radio, feeling how strong my body felt in the car seat, noticing a tattoo of stars I got on my right wrist nine years ago, enjoying the color and texture of a red lizard watchband on the left wrist, and realizing the presence of life in my body and all around. Chaos was not coming to me from the outside chaos. It was not personal; life was just happening.
On down the freeway with the drive taking much longer than it should, there was just peace. I saw trees along the feeder roads, a sea of cars and humanity trying to go somewhere, birds overhead, just life, just flow. Called my Clear Lake friend on the cell to report that I just saw it raining on the other side of the freeway but not on mine. You don’t see that too often. Also told her why I would be very, very late getting to her house: lots of traffic, all backed up, sometimes moving, sometimes not.
Got close to the ElDorado Blvd exit and a sign said it was closed, and construction crews were all around with obvious massive construction going on. Two words of description for I-45 would be ubiquitous construction…just like real life, just like your life, and mine. Next exit also was closed. Then at the next one drivers could finally make a U-turn and go back to ElDorado Blvd. Very messy, traffic a tangle, yet I was still just being in the day, watching the movie of reality unfold. No longer reacting.
As I got to ElDorado Blvd then it started pouring rain. I began thinking about growing up in ElDorado, Arkansas and about what an interesting time I had driving down to Clear Lake today. Laughing to myself and thinking: in the past I would have created high blood pressure around 180 or so, and I would have hit the steering wheel a few times, definitely would have exercised my most explosive curse words at least a dozen or so times by now, especially the s--- one. Curious about how none of that appeared today. The words came to me: “I’ve been through so much transformation, and now there is just dancing through life”. Flash! The image of the Chinese figures came to mind, and I had a little smile recalling the dancers.
Parked the car, carrying in a few things for my friend, entered her apartment building, and went to the elevator to go up to her third floor. In this building, still quite new, there was a sign on the elevator - Out of Order. Of course, I thought. How else would this day go? This could be a pop quiz. Just then a handsome older man walked by. “Here, let me take you to the elevator in the other building; they’re waiting for a part to arrive.” He smiled. “Did you enjoy the rain?” Was beginning to feel like I was in the movie, ‘The Bishop’s Wife’ (my favorite oldie with Cary Grant as an angel) and that Dudley had just manifested from the ethers. I told him, “Yes, indeed, because I’ve moved back to Houston after living in the New Mexico desert for almost eight years. The rain is so refreshing,” I heard myself say.
I found her apartment on the third floor, and after an enjoyable time with my friend, I returned home. Rain had stopped, traffic was more flowing, and after a couple of stops for errands, I was home again.
Made some Bengal Spice tea, and sat at my desk to check emails. My eyes went up to the five dancers. What came to life at that moment was a sense of being in their vibration now. “Maybe I am getting the hang of this,” I whispered to them. Sitting quietly to enjoy the antique piece, I thought, “This is a much better way to live, when you don’t carry on with the personal melodramas, and react to weather, traffic, elevators, freeways, money, not money, love, not love, health, not health.”
A lot of us are doing it differently in the New Earth we are creating. There is an awareness of the dance of life, requiring only breathing in and breathing out and having the awareness that Life is breathing us. Now. It’s a gift. Life is a gift. We acknowledge being truly in the presence of the moment, and not needing it to be other than what it is. Not complaining, but experiencing – less ego, more Soul. Getting there 100% of the time must be an awesome mastery of this earthly home.
I remember my Indian friend in New Mexico who worked as a teacher and administrator with the Special Ed population in her school. English was her third language as she and her parents and siblings had migrated from India, to Germany, to Britain and then America. Her journey through life had been very difficult but her message was “my husband reminds me that it’s all good.” I replied that most days it looks like she believes him. I miss seeing her.
Now I recall buying that antique Chinese piece years ago. There were several from the same house or temple or building – quite similar, but I recognized the one that I wanted to take home and live with. It is becoming more dear to me as I become more like it in the dance of life. I guess we choose some symbols, and then we are simply evolving into them. I like realizing that. The simpler my life gets, the more I am just willing and able to dance.
New class begins with Ann this Fall
Meditation With Your Soul
Ann Alexander 713-515-7473
annalexander100@gmail.com
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