This week I bought two pairs of white pants. I wore a pair yesterday and then this morning I saw them side by side on the hangers and wondered which I’d worn yesterday. Upon closer inspection I saw grass cuttings and knew which they were. That reminded me since I’m not used to wearing white I need to really pay attention when I am. So this morning on my way into town I stopped at a friend’s house to prune and water. Yep, wearing white pants. I’ve usually got jeans on in the yard so I found myself having to be very careful not to drag the dirty hose across them or get grass stains in the pocket from the pruners. When I wear jeans it doesn’t matter. I can just go at it and get dirty and it doesn’t show.  I found wearing white a good exercise in being mindful what I let touch me and rub off on me. That was a good meditation on many levels.   

The last couple of months, I’ve belonged to a couple of  neighborhood Facebook pages and was getting a little involved with them. When I joined, I saw them being helpful, someone would smell smoke and someone else would know where it was coming from.  Another would know of a traffic tie up or warn of suspicious persons in an area – we learned of lots of ongoing scams that way, the same people targeting different areas with the same story needing cash.  Or they’d ask What’s that Boom?   And since I knew what the boom was, I commented. Then there was a blowup within the group and a couple of smart alecky guys got kicked out.  They kind of seemed like upstarts. Someone would post what they heard on a police scanner and a few of them would go check out the scene and post about it. Then everyone started talking about it and it declined into name calling and threats. I had several members of the group send me private messages telling me who to be careful of in the group. I didn’t think much of it, that’s how it is when groups get together.

Then someone posted about a dispute a tenant was having with his landlord. I saw there was a lot of mis-information.  Then some of them began inciting hate and criminal action toward the landlord and it turned into mean and racist remarks.  I commented letting them know what the law – thus the real issue – was.  Whoa!  That turned into a fiasco and all I was trying to do was help.

But that’s what happens when you get involved with other people. Either you bring them up to your level or you allow them to bring you down to theirs. It’s always your choice and one or the other will happen.  When I saw they didn’t want to be schooled on the law, and they saw I didn’t want to hate their target, I didn’t mind when they booted me out.  I didn’t think much of it because we’ve all known people whose minds are made up and don’t want to hear any different.

In the yard as I watered, careful not to dirty my white jeans, I thought what a good reminder wearing white is. It reminds me to be mindful of what I let touch me.

I may not always notice in the moment that something icky is rubbing off on me, but if I stay mindful, maybe envision a white glowing aura around me if I’m in muddy situations, I can keep a healthy distance while remaining aware of what’s happening.

You, too.