The eye of the Storm
January 31, 2010 – 9:30 am
Jack, zippy and Peazie teaching me a lesson
During the course of the storm these last few days I noticed that my dogs were peacefully curled up on the sofa. The wind howled, the branches scraped the tin roof and tumbled across the leaf-littered grass, the pond overflowed. Yet the dogs slept with an uncharacteristic calm. At one point I even tried to excite Gizmo just to make sure everything was okay. She simply looked at me like I was the crazy one and went back to sleep.
Of course, in hindsight I guess I was crazy. I was stewing over a controversy and couldn’t get my mind to that quiet place where reason and logic prevail. Someone was pushing my buttons and I just wanted to bite back. But looking at the dogs and the storm outside, I paused to consider another alternative. Calm inaction.
Someone told me recently that in the midst of a hurricane there is always the eye; a place of total calm, seemingly unaffected by the chaos all around. To find that place all you have to do is remember that you can choose not to be pulled into the storm. Of course, there will always be those who poke and prod, much like I was attempting with the dogs. But if you maintain a sense of groundedness, your choice not to act may be the best action.
