Read the sign

The parking lot attendant took our time-stamped ticket.

He examined how many minutes we had been inside the market, saw that it was under 30 minutes, and raised the gate.  As he did so, he mumbled under his breath, and shook his head. "People are so stupid. Why doesn't she just read the sign!  It says right there," and then yelled at the poor woman who was approaching him, saying "What?"

"I said, the hours are posted right there!! Read the sign!" Apparently the woman wanted to know how long the parking lot was open.  The hours were posted on a sign just at the entry way to the underground garage.

His anger fueled in me both an angry response ("don't be so mad at her, she probably just couldn't see the sign and Lord knows, I would have done exactly the same thing") and an empathetic response ("poor guy probably gets that question about a dozen times a day; he must be so tired of people asking).  Sometimes when I am at the end of my patience rope, I snap at people for their actions which are innocently performed.  My spiritual practice, however, is to try to remember (with God's help) that I, too, have been in their shoes and usually without much prompting can understand their silly actions.  I've begun to say to myself, "People are so funny!" instead of critiquing.

Which got me thinking.  I wonder how often God puts out a sign for me. 

DO THIS!! BE THAT!! reads the sign.  But I don't see it.  I'm distracted by the car behind me, honking it's horn.  Or by the cute little girl in her glittery outfit with silly wings on it.  Or by ... well, any number of bazillion things.  I don't see the sign. 

Thankfully, because God is God, God never yells at me for being stupid.  I imagine God just takes a big deep breath and says, well, I'll show her that sign in another place. 

thanks, God!

Enjoy this poem about God's acceptance of my silliness.  

God Says Yes to Me

By Kaylin Haught on 01-14-2011

 

I asked God if it was okay to be melodramatic
and she said yes
I asked her if it was okay to be short
and she said it sure is
I asked her if I could wear nail polish
or not wear nail polish
and she said honey
she calls me that sometimes
she said you can do just exactly
what you want to
Thanks God I said
And is it even okay if I don't paragraph
my letters
Sweetcakes God said
who knows where she picked that up
what I'm telling you is
Yes Yes Yes

Inattention

I recently listened to the Scientific American podcast, "60-second mind," about being so absorbed in an activity that one does not perceive another event.


In the article, "Inattentional Blindness Can Make You Not Perceive Event" the author explains how a study originated after a cop in hot pursuit of a criminal did not see a police brutality scene that was happening along the route of his fast-paced chase.  


Apparently in a study designed to recreate such an event, nearly 2/3 of the subjects did not see the "other" thing that was happening. Fascinating.


Does this "inattention" explain why suddenly last night I came upon a new staircase at the hospital?  I've been working there for 6 months and here was a shortcut that appeared out of nowhere!  Perhaps I had been, um, too preoccupied in my own fast-paced chase to see it?  Quite possible.


I wonder how this plays out in other areas of my life.  How am I not seeing opportunities for expansive ways to find the truth?  How am I blind to liberating perspectives? 


I pray for attention of perception and the grace to accept that what I do see.


Then he added, “Pay close attention to what you hear. The closer you listen, the more understanding you will be given—and you will receive even more. To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them.” (Mark 4:24-25 NLT)


How are you experiencing any inattentional blindness in this moment?