Grumbles Not-Withstanding.....

Good morning good people.
I am back to share and I am hoping your days have been light and filled with joy.
I say this as I am reflecting on my day yesterday.
In observation of those around me, I couldn't help but hear the angst in the voices while we all made our way through, "the days before the full moon".
In my life, I have tried to respect  the pressure we all feel as the moon cycles through our skies. It does not matter to me if you believe what I believe. It only matters that I respect this life and all it's ups and downs.
I am not referring to some spiritual experience here.
No, this is about Barometric pressure and what the planets can do to each other,
as they live the lives they live, in our Universe.
We are affected daily whether we respect that knowledge, or not.
The days before the full moon can resonate physically but most people, in my experience, do not understand why they are feeling a little off.
They only know that it feels harsh or achey or grumbley.
Many times in my years practicing my arts, I accommodate my elders more gently as the moon cycles.
They do not understand why I know they are hurting but are always grateful for my careful attitude.
Accidents, falls and rises in blood pressure are more common during the days leading up to a Full Moon.
I only smile and say, "If a butterfly's wings flapping can cause waves in the ocean, how far off are we to understand that the moon moving along in the sky can cause swelling and dizzy moments in our days?"
"We are all made up of so much water, surely the moon can affect us, on some levels."
They smile and we help where we can.

Enter the two men who stood on either side of me, at the Post Office.
We all waited our turn in line.
Both were easily guessed to be in their eighties.
Both were talking too loud for such an echo chamber of an office.
Both were complaining and almost shouting and really not making much sense to any of us who were sharing that space with them.
As is usually the case, I found someone speaking to me as if I knew him.
The first man just turned to me and loudly began to rant about the Government and how three employees working at one time was a real surprise.
He did not sound grateful, just ready to find an ear to listen to his complaints.
I calmly reminded him that this was not the Government but that is was a business.
The look on his face told me that he knew that.
I did not wish to engage more ranting but he was not done yet.
He then said,"Well, what do you do for work?"
I quietly told him that I took care of people his age, in this town.
This stumped him for a second but he asked me again and I could hear his voice echo so I spoke quieter and looked as calm as I could while I explained that I took care of people his age for a living.
Two a day, five days a week and I was not in the mood to stand there and listen to him grumble.
The look of confusion on his face told me that he was not spoken to, in this way, very often.
He just looked into my eyes and quietly said,".....five days a week?"
I said yes, and he tried to rant again, though quieter, about how the Post Office was considering closing on Saturdays and what did I think of that.
Again, I told him that I was not in the mood to listen to his grumbles and that all I could say was that everything is going to be okay.
I repeated, "Everything is going to be okay."
The puffing slowed and his confusion calmed as he realized he had just been handled by a very kind person who had no intention of listening to his probable habit of ranting in public.
The three women in front of us smiled quiet smiles as we all continued to move along in the lunch-time line that can often build and move along, here in our little Post Office.
The woman with the children was just getting her two year old to sleep on her shoulder as she spoke quietly to her four year old about standing close and not jumping up by the counter until it was her turn. The little one knew she had a sticker coming and was impatient but polite. Well done mom!

Then, another older gentleman came in and was on his cell phone, shouting into the thing like he was somewhere alone. His words were not G-rated and the mom soon enough had a two year old awake and fussing while the elder gentleman continued to curse about where something would just as easily be put where his sun doesn't shine. Really.
Yes, he was standing right behind me but I did not engage him.
The women and I exchanged round eyes as we all hoped this man would realize his voice was echoing through the room.
The first man who had finished his rant in front of us now seemed to understand that the ranting wasn't pleasing and he calmed himself, even more.
No one was made stronger by these two men.
The woman who was about to work with the first man who complained about her abilities could see that he was about to be her next client. It was obvious that she was made nervous by the thought.
Then the line caused me to be her next client and she was so gracious to me, she even took my hand and spoke so kind I knew she was telling me thank you for my effort in defense of the postal employees working as fast as they could, during the noon time rush.
Somehow, it all diffused and everything seemed to go very well for all of us.
Somehow, the quiet tones were more productive than the loud, disrespectful rantings.
Somehow, the whole thing drifted into memory as we all made our way to the Postal Employees who were just at work that day, trying to keep an income to afford the lives they fight for.
Somehow, I was glad I do what I do for a living because I understood that neither of these men meant anyone any harm.
I understood that they were used to being tolerated.
They were, both, only being themselves, in the world that they perceived was all that they have to work with.
I heard the man who felt he should be allowed to rant.
I calmly told him it was unacceptable, without insulting him.
The other man was disrespectful of all of us, especially the woman with small children who were treated to the education of his very colorful words.
No harm done but, have you been put in this situation?

If you have, it was awkward and you did the best you could, even if you ended up joining the rant.
I am sharing today because I feel this is another moment when we must remind ourselves that life is never what it "looks" like.
I truly believe that it is always better to remember we are all of us fighting something, on some level.
We should not turn on each other.
Calm is more productive.
Anger is contagious but calm is, too.
Anger gets the heart pumping but calm heals the heart and allows for the grins.
Here's to those grins, good people.

Be well on this beautiful day of a Full Moon.