{"id":44909,"date":"2016-07-21T18:24:42","date_gmt":"2016-07-21T23:24:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/horizonsmagazine.com\/blog\/?p=44909"},"modified":"2016-07-21T18:24:42","modified_gmt":"2016-07-21T23:24:42","slug":"white-jeans-remind-me-to-be-careful-what-i-let-touch-me","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/horizonsmagazine.com\/blog\/white-jeans-remind-me-to-be-careful-what-i-let-touch-me\/","title":{"rendered":"White jeans remind me to be careful what I let touch me"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\u2019d 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\u2019s house to prune and water. Yep, wearing white pants. I\u2019ve 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\u2019t matter. I can just go at it and get dirty and it doesn\u2019t show.\u00a0 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. \u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

The last couple of months, I\u2019ve belonged to a couple of \u00a0neighborhood Facebook pages and was getting a little involved with them.\u00a0When I joined, I saw them being helpful, someone would smell smoke and someone else would know where it was coming from.\u00a0 Another would know of a traffic tie up or warn of suspicious persons in an area \u2013 we learned of lots of ongoing scams that way, the same people targeting different areas with the same story needing cash.\u00a0 Or they\u2019d ask What\u2019s that Boom?\u00a0<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0And since I knew what the boom was, I commented<\/a>. Then there was a blowup within the group and a couple of smart alecky guys got kicked out.\u00a0 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\u2019t think much of it, that\u2019s how it is when groups get together.<\/p>\n

Then someone posted about\u00a0a dispute a tenant was having with his landlord<\/a>. I saw there was a lot of mis-information.\u00a0 Then some of them began inciting hate and criminal action toward the landlord and it turned into mean and racist remarks. \u00a0I commented letting them know what the law \u2013 thus the real issue \u2013 was. \u00a0Whoa!\u00a0 That turned into a fiasco and all I was trying to do was help.<\/p>\n

But that\u2019s 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\u2019s always your choice and one or the other will happen. \u00a0When I saw they didn\u2019t want to be schooled on the law, and they saw I didn\u2019t want to hate their target, I didn\u2019t mind when they booted me out<\/a>. \u00a0I didn\u2019t think much of it because we\u2019ve all known people whose minds are made up and don\u2019t want to hear any different.<\/p>\n

\"aura<\/a>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.<\/p>\n

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\u2019m in muddy situations, I can keep a healthy distance while remaining aware of what\u2019s happening.<\/p>\n

You, too.<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a>
<\/a><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t