Have been waking early these days and setting off for work before the sun is up. On the Métro at that hour, most of my fellow passengers are heading to jobs that most anyone who has the choice doesn’t want — cleaning offices, toilets, streets, or tending to other tasks that most people consider « undesirable. » That’s not the case for me. I can’t complain, as we say, although sometimes I do. We ride along in silence, mostly.
I read the daily news (wars, threats, gold medals, interest rates, elections), looking up from time to time at the daily news around me, too. Some look weary, worn down, others not at all. What are their stories? What is my story?
I just look, I just listen. I am just present, upright, considering the sights and sounds of the world, whether friend or foe, with care.
Sights and sounds of the world
About the Author: zenscribe
Enseignante Zen et poète, Sensei Amy “Tu es cela” Hollowell est née et a grandi à Minneapolis, aux Etats-Unis. Arrivée en France en 1981 pour étudier la littérature et l’histoire, elle y est restée, s’installant à Paris, où elle élève ses deux enfants et gagne sa vie en tant que journaliste.
The Zen teacher and poet Amy “Tu es cela” Hollowell Sensei was born and raised in Minneapolis, but came to France in 1981 to study literature and history and has lived in Paris ever since, raising her two children and making a living as a journalist.
i used to do this also on the metro in lisbon. pay attention to each one with care and discovered a amazing feeling of love and respect for all the persons like there was no difference between them and me. i was seeing me in all the faces, in all the clothes, smiles and sadnesses.