Lessons to be learned

So here I am driving through downtown to go work on drywalling. I am sitting at red light and notice a older dude off to my right. He is sitting on his tricked out bike, with gorilla handle bars, sissy bar in the back, looking pretty cool. He is even wearing a bicycle helmet with sweet flames on the sides.

And he is just sitting there waiting at the red light. On a whim, he crosses in front of me in his unhurried way on his bike. I notice he has a smoke in his right hand. Then I spot a open container of beer sitting in a cup holder, duct taped to his right handle bar.

When he was half way across, the light turns green.

At this point, my thought is the bicycle helmet seems way out of place. This dude has the survival instincts of a slug in a salt mine.

So I sit at my green light pondering the lesson this meandering individual is teaching me. I try to live a safe, healthy life. Or do I? My calm demeanor hides my aggression. I use caffeine as a sedative. I practice iron bone to strengthen fist, arms and shins, and then see what kind of stuff I can break.

What do we use as a "safe" shield to feel safe? And what do we still do that we know is harmful to ourself? I think these are valid questions to always be asking ourselves. Do we really need that Quad Venti Mocha so we can spend an extra five minutes on the treadmill? Part of inner exploration is to see what is necessary for our growth and what is harmful. My T'ai Chi training is more like unearthing a lost civilization. ME! Bit by bit, the layers of defense and bad habits fall away to reveal me.

I strongly recommend a reasessment of one's self and finding the tools necessary release yourself from yourself.