“Driving Down a Different Path”

My car was parked in the lot on Castro Street in downtown Mountain View just outside the Shambhala Meditation center. Anxious to move along on my Sunday afternoon, my efforts to move my car were immediately halted. A triple AAA truck that stretched more than a stretch limo was literally blocking my path to exiting. My initial feelings of “I’m upset” and “How could someone just box me in like that?” began to surge, but then, I paused. I took a look at Sakyong’s face (my new favorite Tibetan Guru) as he looked at me from the cover of his book, titled, “Ruling your World.” In that moment, I remembered, I have a choice. I decided to make that mental switch that Sakyong often refers to, and just gave myself a chance to experience what taking a step down that road might feel like. So, I listened to some tunes in the car, read a little more wisdom, and waited for the Triple AAA guy to help the elderly woman get her car back in gear. Incidentally, a few seconds later, he knocked on my window, smiled, and handed me back my cup of starbucks coffee that I had placed on top of my car and forgot about. (Lol). I thanked him laughing, asked him if the lady was all set with her car, and after his positive response and another exchange of smiles, he moved his truck up forward and I happily drove away in no time (like 2 minutes later)! :)