Sloth is on My Mind

I'm still rambling around the ying and the yang of sloth and service. As my friend Dud said to me long ago: "It's one of your ancient riffs. Rock on."

Most days I head down to my local coffee shop for my AM blast of caffeine. I sit outside, mostly keeping to myself, and I write and read the paper. Mostly though, I sit and watch the world spin by. I'm often at peace when I do this. I pray a little and try to meditate from time to time, but really what I do is sit and let my mind wander pleasantly. I'm relaxed and content and stopped. When I'm worried about something I often find that the solutions come to me during this time. I don't bring my PC or cell phone; I consciously make the decision to disconnect from all the crap that works to wreck my reverie. Let the world whirl.


People from The Program come by often to get coffee, and sometimes they have time to talk. A couple of guys pull over and stop when they see me outside. I've gotten to know the mostly young employees who run the place. I think that they like to see me. I get hugs. They say that they're glad to see me, anyway. I took an out of town friend to visit once, and he asked if I was a regular customer.

One of the employees, a college aged woman -- which does wonders for my ego -- said: "He's one of our favorite customers." It's one of the rewards of taking the time to get to know someone. I'm not generally interested in people until I make an effort to learn something about them. I remember to ask specific questions about what's happening in their lives. People always seem so surprised that I remember what they've got going on.

How do I put a value on this?