Something snapped me back to reality. Soft fur and tiny meow slowly worked its way into my consciousness. I can only hope this special soul knows what she means to me.
I decided to go on a walk to see the roses in bloom. My path happened to go by some railroad tracks and a building with absolutely stunning street art. As I approached, a shirtless man caught my attention. He told me that my pocket was open. I'll admit, sometimes I'm so lost in my own head that I don't acknowledge people on the street. Sometimes my creep radar goes off and I'll try to politely avoid interaction. This time, I felt that I absolutely needed to listen. We got to chatting and it struck me that the guy was probably hungry. I had some bacon jerky on me and I offered him a bag. He was genuinely appreciative. He asked sheepishly if I had the means to get him some ice and a soda. A simple and easy ask since there was a convenience store a couple of blocks up the road. When I came back, the guy seemed surprised. I figure that people have said that they'd do stuff for him but instead of helping out, they would just vanish. Such is the nature of the streets, unfortunately. I stuck around for a little while and continued to chat. The guy was all over the place but had a genuineness about him that I could definitely feel. I felt, through a connection of conversation, a sense of the divine nature of the universe. It was incredibly powerful. I thought in that moment that we are all revolutionary in our own way. I may not have the spoons to be an out loud activist but I can do other things. I've always been consumed with the notion of helping people. I do this because I feel it is the right thing to do. As a child, I was fascinated by the stories of Jesus my grandmother told me. Of course as I got older, I realized that those stories are often twisted by evil people and used to oppress and demean others. I have distain for anyone taking a message of peace and love and corrupting it for personal gain. I hold the myths in my heart and try my hardest be like the human I look up to while acknowledging that he was human too (at least partly). Today I felt like I got close. Of course I have to be mindful to not be boastful. As beautiful as this moment was, I have to keep in mind that I gained a lot from the interaction too.
I said my goodbyes and stuck around to photograph the amazing art on walls surrounding the railroad tracks. After that, I took a walk through the rose garden and caught a few pictures there. The beauty of the day was intense. Pictures don't do it justice although I did try to capture a small part of it. The infinite nature of the universe was manifest for just a moment today and I do not feel worthy of the experience.
All of the photos from today can be found here: https://photographywolf.smugmug.com/A-Spiritual-Day/
