It was the end of the first decade of the new millennium. I was going through a bit of personal turmoil and found myself looking for a job. I was living in Los Angeles at the time and was using mass transit to get around. Nicely dressed in a skirt suit, I made my way to one of the smaller local busses to get where I needed to go. It was not my usual bus and I always liked to take them when possible as they tended to be a little nicer.
We are connected through this amazingly divine string that flows through every single person on this planet.
I sat down and began to look at my phone as we do. At the next stop a woman got on. She had was decently dressed from my quick glance. She sat across from me. All of a sudden a very strong smell penetrated my nostrils. It was overpowering sickly sweet and offensive. I tried to cover my nose without being too rude. As I looked around I found that the source was that woman who sat across from me. Her clothing was not that tattered. Her face was covered in what I only assumed was fecal matter. She was begging for someone to notice her. She moaned softly looking at the others on the bus.
As we do in large cities, I would glance at her and then turn my face so as to not make prolonged eye contact, but it seemed that all she needed was a little eye contact. A recognition that she was still human. So, I tried to give her that. It made me very uncomfortable. She would mutter unintelligibly and her eye contact with me was quick and in intervals. At that moment she began to bawl. She was saying things about her daddy and Alabama. It was all I could do not to break down myself.
Even now as I recount this story I find myself getting a little emotional. I was so overwhelmed with sadness and this profound awareness that the same God that was inside of me was also inside of her. If that were the case what could I do to help elevate her from such incredible pain and suffering? I could feel it deep within. I knew how much she hurt at that moment. I too have hurt like that.
We try so hard to tell ourselves that we’re not like them. That the homeless and mentally ill are nothing like us, but nothing could be further from the truth. They ARE us. We ARE them. We are connected through this amazingly divine string that flows through every single person on this planet. We are connected to the most inspirational beings as well as those who are so broken and wounded from their life experiences.
We are going to be seeing so much (homelessness) more of this…we are charged with re-finding our humanity and connection to all that is.
I was reminded of this experience today while shopping. A woman who was in the store saw me and wanted to talk. I wanted to keep my 6ft. as we are amidst a pandemic, but she was not at all concerned about that. Although I was quite uncomfortable with her proximity I allowed the engagement. She said she was visiting a friend who worked there and proceeded to tell me that she’d just become homeless. Although this situation was so vastly different from the experience I had in LA, it stirred something in me. We are going to be seeing so much more of this as we proceed through this “thing” and as we do, we are charged with re-finding our humanity and connection to all that is. Re-finding is the term I use, because the vast majority of us have lost that. We forget that we are humans. That we are all connected.
We push though our days working to pay our bills and get more money. We barely notice people other than our friends and family. With social-distancing measure and the looming threat of a highly contagious infectious disease we now have expanded our personal space and even have fear of people coming within six feet of us. I do. I hate it. We are doing what we need to do to keep ourselves, our families and others well and safe. It is the right thing to do.
What is the cost? The potential cost is our connection with our divine nature and the divine within those who move through the world in “meat suits”, as do we.
It’s of vital importance, even within the age of social distancing, that we cultivate our connection with the divine within us and within others. Connect with your “tribe” in ways that feed your soul and in turn feed the souls around you. Look at people, even though you’re 6 feet apart and are wearing a mask, really look at people…like in the eyes. Smile and send them love.
Just BE human and divine.
Yes yes. Beautiful.
Love you!