And Tochi Says… Whose thoughts are YOU thinking?

I get more reflective these days, during my bus & bike days. As I sit by a window, I gaze at the pedestrians and motorists; each focused on their destination. I look at their clothes, the expression on their faces and how they interact (or not) with the environment through which they pass. I imagine what their homes are like; I imagine how they might feel about themselves and their worldly impression on the rest of us.

I also hear the comments of my fellow riders. Some are envious of the motorists, especially those in fancy cars. From anecdotal experience, I know that many who look well-off may be quite the opposite. The lady driving the 2008 Lexus RX10 has her lips curled downward; she may be off to a high-paying gig with people she absolutely detests. The man in the pristine 2009 Mercedes Benz S600 is clenching the steering with both hands; he may have just received a devastating health report. And what about the stone-faced couple with two babies in the backseat of their 2010 Chevy Cobalt? That second kid may have just delayed someone’s college degree by at least another twelve months!

Then I think about how no condition is permanent. In fifty years, maybe even twenty, this scene I look upon now will be radically changed. Many will be long gone, dead, by then. Some will have relocated. Others will remain, mingled with newer folk.

And life changes, here and around the world. In time, earthquakes, tsunamis, famines, wars and epidemics swing to new vistas, new vegetations, improved food technologies and national reconciliations, even as bellicose televangelists and cyberclerics put words of blame in their God’s mouth against one group of humans or the other.

I note how my moods change from period to period within one day, based on what is going on in my environment. The more I pay attention to what’s going on around and in me, the more affected my moods become. yet, I regulate the impact by remembering that all things change, even at the vibratory energy level that we cannot readily see with our naked eyes. Every thing changes. Every thing will change. Every thing must change. That is law. And in this law, we can take a great measure of comfort.

The image used in this post is courtesy of the contributors to Creative Commons. I am immensely grateful.