Being Present to yourself.

Sometimes when I go to the supermarket and look at co-shoppers,  I feel that I have been dropped into an environment with body snatchers.  There is an appearance of mechanical people going about the process of procuring food in a robotic manner.  Some have a list and some just buy the same stuff every week to get food on the table.  I live in a town with a grocery experience so a few folks are from out of town and looking at the “tall buildings” in amazement. The remaining group is socializing with other shoppers, reading a label, or trying to decide the nutritional or cost advantage of an item.  We are decedents of hunters and gatherers who had to be awake and aware as they foraged over the twenty miles a day it took to procured substance. I am one of those that generally walks around smiling but I usually only go to the produce section so it doesn’t take me too long and I am an eye shopper – what looks good for my smoothing or stir fry. Shopping and commuting on public transport are a great places to practice mindful aware awake living. What energy am I giving off to my environment and what am I taking in?   Is this a robotic experience or am I present to myself? What great things happened to day?  Well for me, two things.  Saint Mike, the computer man, came and found Jane Monheit on hiding in my backup area and with some effort, Jane and my other buddies, Zen meditations, and travel music were back home and then transported to the iPod.  Brother John, finished the garden screens and came to put them in place… just as my mind’s eye had envisioned.  It takes time to make your environment be your support and comfort but slowly I am making my home my shelter and a place to be present to myself.