I had pie with my friend Paul Schneider. There is a pie place in Evanston, Illinois called “Hoosier Mama” (get it?) and they have pretty decadent pie slices as well as pot pies and various types of pie/meal combinations. The point of the meeting was not really the pie, but a chance to sit and connect. I was happy to see my friend as he always has a bit of wisdom to share. Lately, I have felt a bit like my creative wheels have been spinning. I haven’t found a place to exhibit my art, the book is still waiting for Annie to review, I am behind on painting, I still have original songs to be recorded, the Switchback train tour needs to be filled, taxes just came in as a major shock to my finances---those sort of things that, in addition to the problems in the larger world, cumulatively can weigh my spirit down.
I ordered a “dirt cup pie”, which is sort of a chocolate pudding pie with crushed Oreo cookies, whip cream and one rainbow colored gummy worm. I think the pie was more symbolic of how I was feeling. Paul ordered some sort of brownie, which was dusted with a powdery multi-colored metallic glaze. It was as beautiful to look at as it apparently was to eat, as Paul did a good job in that department. He had a cold brewed hazelnut coffee, and I had a hot coffee with cream--a sort of treat for the afternoon. The place was packed with college students working on their computers, an older group of women meeting up for a talk and a couple of families on a Sunday outing. Even the guy begging for money was dressed nice and was polite. It was that sort of day.
Finally, we sat down. I told him of my worries and how my wheels felt like they were spinning. He looked at me, took a bite of his brownie and then proceeded to dispense wisdom: “You know, the other day I saw this lady walking with a golden retriever,” he said. “The dog came to a yard with nice green grass, found a big stick and then sat there in the sunshine, chewing on it. The lady let him do it, and was in no hurry to move him. I looked at that dog, so happy and content and I realized that I too can be that golden retriever.”
It was a good pep-talk, and I realized he saw right through my pity party. I was yawing off course. I needed to correct my bearings and continue on toward “Joy.”
I know that the goal in life is to be in “Joy.” To be able to lock into gratitude in spite of everything that could possibly be going wrong or even when in the doldrums. The image of that golden retriever, happy as all get out, chewing on some old stick, relaxing in some grass is the perfect example of being in the moment. The dog is in bliss and bliss is anybody’s yard and any old stick. It is the old adage “bloom where you are planted.”
Problems never really go away; they just get solved and the next problems arise to take their place. I have been shelving my Joy because I forgot that my problems can exist within a sphere of Joy. And I have very little control over larger issues, but at least I can change the world by practicing being in a state of Joy. That being Joy-filled is something that requires mindfulness of one’s attitude. It also requires a bit of faith in the Universe coming through in the end.
And sometimes, the best way to start back on the path of Joy is to order a piece of pie and sit down for a while with a good friend.
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