Madness

The soul of the United States is in the midst of a political and financial heart attack. Our government is partially shut down, our lawmakers have no capacity to work together, and many of our citizens are enraged. There are different targets for the outrage, specific people in Congress, the president, one party or the other, that sort of thing. The common denominator is rage.

I, too, have been enraged, so much so that I didn't even try to settle down. Well - yes I did, but I was not successful. I couldn't sleep, was following the news - always a terrible idea for me. I was wringing my hands and gnashing my teeth, I tell you. I even briefly considered doing some magic down at the Capitol.

This is a huge crisis, the center of which is 7 blocks away. Oh yeah, of course I was in a state! For heaven's sake.

Yesterday I took a walk around the Capitol, to sip the energy, you know. It was a circus down there. One man was shouting at the top of his lungs about the dangers of electromagnetic energy. He was scary - I steered a wide arc around him. The cops were watching him but also making space for him to rant. He was on the Senate side. On the House side was the nice Jesus lady who sets up an almost life sized statue of Jesus, talks to passersby about love and peace. She is very sweet - I've seen her there before. There were federal workers walking around with their home made signs - I so enjoy hand constructed protest signs. There were also tourists of course, and other people like me milling around. God bless America where we are allowed to express ourselves.

The energy was thick and of course the weather reflected it. After weeks of Colorado weather, yesterday was muggy and uncomfortably warm. The air was heavy and hazy, slightly rancid smelling. I felt like I was slogging through a thickish hot soup that had gone sour. The weather here explains everything, I tell you.

I walked once around the building after which I headed straight home. Fifteen minutes later, that poor crazy woman was shot and killed near the grounds.

Something about my walk around the Capitol made me remember that I know how to be grounded. I've practiced for decades. I've practiced calm, I've practiced open mindedness. I've practiced feeling abundant love in my heart.

It is so tempting to drop into the boiling thick hot soup of this national crisis, to point a finger or two, to blame, to rant and rave. Oh man it is so tempting! Yesterday's walk around the Capitol reminded me that the best possible response is to lean into my practices. Oh my yes. Every flavor of crazy was down at the Capitol, every flavor. I don't want to be one of the crazies! It helps nothing.

This morning I doubled my meditation sit time. I thought about my prayers carefully before offering them. I'm drinking tea - not coffee. I'm remembering to relax my jaw and shoulders. Later I'll see clients - a great thing for so many reasons.

Even right after 9/11, DC did not feel this bizarre, because after 9/11, we were all in it together. These are crazy, history worthy times. The best thing I can do is do what I believe in. I am breathing. I feel clear. The moon has turned. May we prevail! Shalom.