Frame the Day
Toronto, Ontario
In the past when I was more firmly entrenched in management I found it absolutely necessary to give myself recess- that is, to break away from a routine that was going to wear me down. It could have been kitchen work in the ashram as much as it was office work. I needed to incorporate into the pattern of my activities a change.
I recall driving throughout Canada and the States, on behalf of the mission of course, putting on thousands of miles/kilometres. Driving a van with one or two companions/monks and carrying good Bhaktivedanta Book Trust reading material and our own brand of monk-made carved candles and such, I encountered a physical drain and lower back problems. Solution: change directions somewhat and start walking. My mottos became "Have shoes, will travel," and "Take beads, will chant."
It was a cure. Muscles became activated that were not otherwise and I developed greater calmness. There was time for myself with Him, God-in-the-heart.
Yogendra, Dhruva and I arrived by bus from Buffalo at 6am. We had a choice to take a cab or our legs. I suggested the latter. It was a break from wheels. Our trek was miniscule in length- a mere 2.5 km. Nevertheless, short that it was, it broke the dullness of sitting in a bus. We enjoyed the air.
To wind down the day I again broke routine. After hours of nailing down dates and tickets for future trips I just had to burst out the door at 9:30pm to meet the real air again, to meet the sidewalk and to have whatever little connection with Him that I could have. I arranged to meet with Keshava, one of our young facilitators at the temple. We discussed at Queens's park on a park bench topics to do with breathing fresh air and then walked back to the temple/ashram on the same route as the early morning, on Avenue Road. We parted. I lay down to rest happy to have framed my day with air, shoes and God.
6 KM
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