Have you been on edge lately? Are you feeling like, “Where is the next shit show gonna show up?” In America, we are looking at a high cost of living all around, 14 more months of presidential campaign B.S., natural disasters breaking records, wildfire seasons, extreme weather, extremely high cost of living, (did I mention that, worth repeating), rent gouging, earthquakes, and maybe another COVID outbreak just for fun. And our government sitting on its hands with a look like “Why is everyone staring at me?” So ya, parts of me are a little pissed off. However, the stoic in me remembers the Epictetus quote, “Another person will not hurt you without your cooperation. You are hurt the moment you believe yourself to be.” Reel it in baby, you got this.
Yesterday, late afternoon, I was fussing over a plant in my bedroom window, looked out the window, and saw this bullshit:
Normally our wildfire smoke is more dispersed evenly across the sky. Just for laughs the planet decided to funnel smoke from the Olympic National Park fire about 200 miles away by car, directly over our heads. Remember, The Pacific Northwest is home to the only temperate rainforest on the continent. Here is a screenshot of the air quality at that time:
Meteorology explained the “smoke river” perfectly. I know it is the wind, blowing smoke, but it was unsettling. I was unsettled.
This morning, early, 6:00am, I woke. Looked up and around. No smoke. Decided to drive down to the coffee shop for a breakfast wrap and tall drip coffee. To be kind to myself, to take care of myself, with my favorite cup of coffee. Relax.
While in the drive-thru waiting for the breakfast wrap, the 1998 Fatboy Slim song “Praise You” came on.
We’ve come a long long way together
Fatboy Slim -1998
Through the hard times and the good
I have to celebrate you baby
I have to praise you like I should
This song altered my mood and realigned my spiritual spine.
A “Nope” cloud quickly travels overhead toward the city core…
The seagull squawked “It’s OK. It is alright”
Breakfast and black coffee are meditative incense
My heart fills with gratitude
and I tell the fear to fuck off
shannon p. laws 