Peaceful Meditations
I’ve been meditating in my life for a while now.
The other day my meditation practice was tested.
In the last few weeks I’ve begun to get back into the recording studio to make new music. Because of my busy schedule, I’ve been squeezing in quality recording time between 8pm – 1am, three days a week.
The other day I was heading home from a late night recording session with my new music blasting through my car speakers, traveling the 35 minute journey home I’ve traveled so many times before. So when I began to hear a weird sound coming from my car my attention immediately perked up.
As I turned down my music, the noise became louder.
I rolled down the passenger window and I was greeted with the sound of a flat tire.
Looking up, I noticed I had about a half mile to go before I could exit the freeway. Not wanting to stop on I-285 at 1am, I decided to risk the potential damage to my rim and pull off at the next exit and into the first gas station.
Patience
Slow and steadily, I made it to the gas station.
Knowing the power of approaching any situation or circumstance with a positive attitude, I happily got out of my car. Thankful I made it safely to the gas station, I walked to the trunk to get the necessary tools.
I grabbed the jack and the spare tire, cranked up the car and was totally unaware of the environment I was in.
While I was lifting up the car up on the jack, I heard someone behind me ask if I needed any help.
I turned around to tell him I was okay and noticed multiple people walking throughout the gas station parking lot.
It was about 1am and I immediately realized the type of neighborhood I was in, the hood.
A few moments later another guy approached with a fast and excited speech infused with slurred words telling me not to listen to the guy with whom I first spoke, who first spoke with me, telling me that if I talk with the other guy this whole place will be *hot.
*Hot – cops will begin appearing and start questioning everyone.
I told the guy I was good to go and walked to get the tire iron from my trunk, not to protect myself but to loosen the lug nuts and put on my spare tire.
Peaceful Mindset Was Shaken
Reaching my trunk I felt my heart begin to drop as I realized I didn’t have one. I searched my car top to bottom and didn’t find a tire iron anywhere.
So what did I do?
I turned around and asked the fast talking man with slurred speech if he knew where I could get a tire iron.
“Ye, yes, yes no problem,” he responded and began moving like a mad man through the parking lot, frightening each driver who approached the gas pumps by basically demanding a tire iron.
In the meantime, I went in the gas station and asked the clerks if they had a tire iron only to find out the attendant didn’t own a car.
Unwilling to fail, I left the store thinking I could speak kindly to the next person and they would be willing to assist me with my flat tire.
A young African American man and his girlfriend pulled up to the gas pump and I knew I’d be leaving soon, having been there for almost 35 minutes at this point. I was beginning to see more and more of these fast talking, excited night walkers swarm the gas station.
Hopeful, I asked the young man if he had a tire iron I could use to change my tire.
To my surprise he started laughing and said “I can’t help you, ask them,” pointing to the cops who were now questioning the first guy who asked me if I needed help.
I shook my head, not willing to ask the police and have myself questioned, frisked, searched, etc.. I walked back to my car. I took my car off the jack and told the now group of night-walkers surrounding me that I was good and was going to leave.
Power of a Positive Outlook
Somewhere deep down, I knew I would figure it out but I was beginning to feel more and more defeated, almost helpless.
I pulled back onto the street, contemplating risking driving home on my rim, but decided against it, eventually pulling into a truck stop just across the overpass.
I walked into the truck stop-restaurant and told the clerks of my situation and received no help, it was now 1:45am.
Frustrated, I contemplated calling my sister or one of my few good friends who live near Atlanta, but I knew that anyone I called would be about an hour away.
That’s when a young lady who overheard me approached and told me to speak with the security guard, pointing him out to me.
I didn’t even have to finish my now almost desperate plea with the Nigerian-born security guard before he said he’d help.
He followed me out to my car, parked right next to his and grabbed his tire iron for me.
Gratitude and Peaceful Attitude
Grateful and excited I jacked up my car, took off the lug nuts and pulled, but the tire wouldn’t budge. My tire was rusted to my rotor.
Defeated and upset, I walked back into the store approached the security guard and told him I was giving up.
Feelings of anger began to surface as I pulled out my phone to call my sister, it was now 2am.
That’s when he said, “Don’t call anyone, give me a minute I’ll come help you. Just buy some WD-40, we’ll figure it out brother.”
I bought that WD-40 with a new found energy.
I just finished spraying it around my flat tire when he came out and tried to pull the tire off for himself.
Unable to, he opened his trunk and grabbed a bar he had to crank up a big jack.
He banged and banged the tire with the bar.
“Try now,” he said.
I went to pull the tire off with the same force I tried before only to fall on my back with the tire on top of me.
I laughed.
After putting my spare on, I thanked the security guard from the depths of my heart, telling him that I’d asked over 60 people for help over the course of 2 hours and he was the only one who was willing to truly help me.
To my surprise he responded, “This is how it was all supposed to align my friend. I am a religious man, it is my duty to help people.”
I thought for a moment and said, “I bet 80% of the people I spoke with this evening are religious, but being religious doesn’t mean anything if you’re unwilling to lend a helping hand when you are able.”
This Situation
This occurrence was a great reminder to me.
That reminder is this:
Spending time meditating, praying, reflecting on gratitude in the peace and quiet of my house doesn’t mean a thing if I am unwilling to bring that practice with me throughout all my situations.
Even when dealing with the unfortunate situation of a flat tire in the hoods of Atlanta at 2am, I can still find a way to bring peace and stillness with me inviting these qualities to reflect through my outlook and my attitude towards the situation.
Thank you to the security guard who taught me this valuable lesson.
Peace of mind and a positive attitude can be present in all circumstances.
Your Thoughts
What are the situations in your life where you could begin to invite in more peace?
Leave your comments below. You’re insights may be the inspiration someone needs.
Appreciation
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Make today the best it can be by bringing peace with you throughout all of your interactions.
Peace
Happiness
Compassion
Respect