When faced with an immediate danger, all the hype about picking sides and us versus them becomes irrelevant because we are, in essence, ALL the same.
By Mary Boutieller
I was in an “off” mood for weeks, struggling to contain my frustration and worries about politics, climate change, trees in our neighborhood, etc. I thought there just wasn’t anything I could write that would inspire anyone.
And then Hurricane Idalia decided to come up the Gulf of Mexico. My attention shifted, as did everyone else’s in southwest Florida. Suddenly, political news seemed irrelevant; details of neighborhood squabbles diminished. All I could think about was wanting the people I love to be safe. And more than that, once I realized that the immediate danger was over for us, I felt a heart-wrenching sadness for those along the coast who would be facing a Category 3 hurricane at their shores.
I didn’t care which side of the political spectrum they were on. I didn’t care that they seemed to view life so differently than me. I cared that they and their families would be safe. I thought about what it would be like to have my home destroyed, my town devastated, my world shifted on its axis for the foreseeable future. And I breathed both a sigh of relief for those I know and a held breath for those in the path.
And it reminded me, once again, that underneath all this nonsense—all the hype about picking sides and us versus them, that we are, in essence, ALL the same. We bleed the same; our hearts break the same; we live and laugh and suffer like everybody else. Why can’t we get this through our thick heads?
Then today, I received an email from StoryPeople. These daily emails contain a short, sweet saying with which to start your day. Today’s message was this:
“A day is coming where we will stand together on the top of the hill and declare that from now on we are going to be good to each other.”
It’s just not that hard, is it? To be good to each other. I’m confident that, as people gather together to help those affected by the storm, they aren’t concerned about anything except helping mend the wounds as best they can.
While watching a show recently, a scientist said that our emotions are contagious. When one person in a room laughs, others tend to join in. When someone is angry, it can shift the energy of others in the room. Apparently, it is an evolutionary effort to stay tuned in with what is happening around us so that we can identify safety or threats.
What I realized, yet again, is that there are things we can control in our lives and things we cannot. I may not be able to control what others do, but I can control how I think and what I say. I can choose how I take care of my body and what I feed my mind. I can decide on actions to take instead of reactions that make me feel helpless.
I’m not saying that a shift in attitude or a reminder of our frailty changes or fixes everything, but it just might change something.
It might help me remember that the world is a good place; that people are amazing and beautiful and doing the best they can. It might remind me that I’m okay too, and that this too shall pass.
Thanks to a hurricane, I feel like I am back where I need to be. I never thought I’d ever say that!
Mary Boutieller is a Registered Yoga Teacher through Yoga Alliance. She has been teaching yoga since 2005. Her work experience includes 22 years as a firefighter/paramedic and 10 years as a Licensed Massage Therapist. Mary’s knowledge and experience give her a well-rounded understanding of anatomy, alignment, health and movement in the body. She is passionate about the benefits of yoga and the ability to heal at all levels through awareness, compassion, and a willingness to explore. She can be reached at: SimplyogaOm@gmail.com.