Discover life: Words, sounds, drops
Yes!!! (Even if I was a bit tired, a bit of a mess and a bit of a dawdler at times).
What new things have I discovered about life?
It’s the tone that conveys the meaning. As I was cycling home today after a lovely birthday party, I saw a young man sitting in a pile of leaves by the side of the road. As people don’t usually do that, I called out, „Is everything all right?“ He called back, „No,“ but his voice sounded so clear and cheerful. And the road was going slightly downhill, so I had some momentum. I stopped at the next set of traffic lights – and he came running after me (500 metres!) and asked, „Did you mean that question seriously?“ I said, „Yes!“ He asked why I hadn’t stopped then. I explained it to him and said, „You can run really fast, though!“ He said, „Well, you have to with you!“ Then he asked where I was from and what I was up to this evening…
I found it fascinating that – even though he’d shouted something else – I intuitively sensed that he was all right: a man who can run a few hundred metres behind a woman on a bike – whom I find attractive – can’t be doing too badly. I was relieved that my assessment had obviously been correct; I trusted the tone more than the words.
And: Penguins have a highly effective heat-exchange system in their feet (the things you learn along the way when you’re working on domestic and heating systems for ships)
What new things have I discovered about myself?
Little things can bring me great joy. And a single drop can have very different effects – depending on where it lands. Today, a care parcel arrived from a former seminar participant (thanks, H.!) containing some really lovely ear protectors, chocolate, tissues and a lovely hand cream. Compared to the huge bills of the last few weeks (and those still to come), this is a drop in the ocean. Barely noticeable. Yet at the same time, that drop has fallen into my barrel of gratitude and made it overflow. The gift, and the appreciation and care it expresses, has kept me feeling happy and grateful all day long. A good drop is truly worth its weight in gold!
