A Good Person Can Get Up Off the Floor

I could wake up early and jump naked in the pool even all year around or at least take a cold shower the way the monks do.

I could have a glass of water with lemon juice, vinegar, and cumin like my friend does every morning.   The actual tonic is lemon juice and water plus 2 t. organic cinnamon.  Some recipes call for apple cider vinegar and honey.

And then there is, of course, meditation and yoga first thing there for the taking.

Instead, I have coffee, read the paper on my iPad and try not to get hooked into the 11-year-old in Peru who had a baby or was it the one about the  89-year-old mother?  Or something about a movie star couple or the royals or even go back to another James Baldwin interview, somewhat better than the royals, but still, out of control, not disciplined. 

I may watch a little of a Netflix movie about being black in Atlanta, or French village occupied by Germans,  or the Buddhist nuns in Tibet. That last one about a group of Western women who went on a pilgrimage there and filmed the trip.  In a jeep, then on horseback, then on foot.

But still and yet, back to my idea of being a good person.

Get a shower, a warm one and then do yoga or Pilates.

The Pilates is, well both, are on line, live with teachers.

The Pilates teacher says, beautiful, very good and I bask in his encouragement.  I got a gold star in Pilates!

The yoga teacher, says this is your time, and that posture is beautiful, and at the end, peace be with you.

Such simple language that makes a huge difference.  Love and encouragement and listening for the best in people makes an immeasurable difference.

I set the camera on my computer so the teacher can see me lengthwise on my mat on the floor. It is amazing to get up and down off the floor again. My doctor gets credit for my arms and shoulders that work so well, better than my knees for getting up and down.  He and my physical therapists, Kelli and Arja.  I wrote their clinic thank you notes, one for each practitioner.

But I am writing about if I was a good person what would I be doing?

The windows would be washed and the woodwork.

Well it is.

Alexander, my grandson,  came and took the storm windows off the 4 porch/living room windows and washed the windows and all of the woodwork outside and now if they get a little dusty, or polleny or a worm dies on the window sill, I am there not because I am a good person necessarily but because I walk out to sit in the rocking chair on the porch or I walk out headed to an errand or doctor’s appointment and turn around and go inside and get the 409 and a paper towel and there you are.  They are sparkling white.  I remember my mother and her bucket of suds washing woodwork inside the house regularly.

I have chocolate because I choose it.

I wash the sill because I wash them.

I dilly dally in the morning because I do..

And I have had years and years and years of being on the mark with little babies and toddlers and teenagers to get to school and planes to catch and early morning 6 am runs with Harold preparing for our 10-minute mile marathons.

Harold and I had good long talks on our runs, everybody else running 8- or 9-minute miles ahead of us.

We knew where the water stops were and even the pooping woods if we needed them.

He told me he and his girlfriend didn’t get married because they loved each other and didn’t want that convention, then they didn’t have sex for the same reason, that it kind of ended the inquiry, the spiritual development of sitting and looking into each other’s eyes.

Later, I heard from Mary that she didn’t like to look at the person when she had sex, that it was kind of weird.

And I said, Well, that is weird.

Maybe that is what Harold meant, that sex closed the door of just being .

This is a longer essay. 

I can see it both ways.

Same with talking, it kind of closes a door.

But on the other hand, if there is listening it opens one.

That is a big IF though.

Forget the good person essay and just listen.

And jump naked,

Sex closes a door

Closes the door of friendship and looking at each other

Same for talking.

Is that a haiku?  Or this one?

A good person would be thin and fit and a great cook.

A good person would be organized and not have too much stuff.

A good person would not wonder whether they were a good person.  She would just be. He would just be.

I wonder what your version of a good person is and how hard on yourself are you.

This question is a question with no answers.  The need to be good a bottomless pit. 

Or it could be a question for contemplation and wonder, what is a good person and how are you manifesting good today?

How are you being a gentle, decent and brave messenger today?

How are you following your calling now?

Are you loving your life? No matter what?