An Exercise in Mindfulness
There are certain points in life that everything comes at you all at the same time. Seemingly mundane issues can compound on themselves creating soul crushing, mind obliterating annoyances.
Today I woke up early in Las Vegas…. Bright white sheets complimented by blindingly white dessert light, dry nostrils and the mouth feel of sucking on a cotton ball. Last nights whiskey certainly accented the fact that I had not received my beauty sleep. A quick run through of the finances on my phone illustrated that I had run into “good time charley” and he had won again. I looked up to Kas using her “I’m being nice” voice. I was informed that the room was required for yoga purposes which superseded my need to use the bed for the previously intended sleeping purposes. It should be clarified that this was a reminder not a new request I was fully aware of what was coming when I had closed my eyes.
As I trudged aimlessly down the hallway which seemed shockingly longer than it had the night before I was reminded that every last one of us is now considered patient X and to put on a mask. I stepped into an elevator with 8 other nameless individuals and we began our descent downwards. Stepping out I passed security realizing groggily that I had forgotten my room key and would need to visit the front desk or not be allowed upstairs again.
As in all Casinos, lights flashed arrantly and mimicked the sounds of people winning huge jackpots of money. Had I still been drunk I might have seen the empty room as a heaven for ghosts of gamblers anonymous, continuously stuck playing to their addictions winning money they could never spend.
As I pulled up to the empty bar my phone vibrated endlessly alerting me to issues of both business and personal nature. A client was mad at the clearing house…I was to be on a plane to Baltimore in two days for a wedding…my mother wanted a phone call…the market is down, the water bill is due… Viagra is available in cheap discreet packaging… check in for tonights flight… on and on it goes. Placing my phone on the bar I put my obligatory $20 toll into the machine and ordered what would turn out to be a $20 free coffee.
2 hours later I’m packing to get on a plane and fly home. The bag is too heavy, there is no way Kas will be ready before the 11am check out time, do we want to go somewhere before the airport or do we want to go directly and try to get some work done in the terminal, UBER or SHUTTLE or TAXI. No one can make a decision and neither of us wants to upset the other so we tiptoe through the decision with maddening inefficiency.
The Uber is here we arrive at the airport with little to no problems and even make it to security with 5 hours to play with. We approach the TSA line knowing they’ll take a solid chunk of that.
The Lesson
This is not a “bad” day. It shouldn’t even be a frustrating day, but it can be an overwhelming day. If broken down correctly, I had a great time the night before with the woman I love. I wolfed down too much steak and ordered an amazing drink so it led to a few more.
The money I spent/lost was something that I can get back and it was proven to me by clients calling me on my personal cell phone knowing I was out of town. We had options to get to the airport. We didn’t sleep on the street, we didn’t have to walk, and we didn’t cause any more issues in our day. Taken one at a time many of my perceived nuisances were in fact blessings that I had taken for granted.
Taking a moment every hour or so to look at what has negatively affected you can often turn the experience into something that illuminates the rest of your day and allows you to continue forward on your journey.
- Matthew Howie