Connecting to Common Everyday Things

A couple Days ago I needed to get one of my house window screens repaired as it was bent and wouldn’t fit in the window frame. My local hardware store offered screen replacements and rescreening. The store is just down the street from where I live so it was an easy decision to go in and see about my screen repair.

The man who does screen repair was sitting at his desk in the back of the store and greeted me in a very friendly way. Behind his desk were photos of his family on a ledge. He had a little plant on his desk. I felt a warm feeling in his presence. He was very attentive to my request. It was just a simple thing, getting a screen repaired, but I felt like my problem was really important. He clearly was helpful and seemed to enjoy our interaction. He was making extra money, aside from his employee position. I felt a favorable opinion of the store, as they permitted him doing a side business in a hardware store. I left the store feeling a sense of calm and happiness just because of the way I was treated.

When I got home after picking up the screen, and he charged less, the screen had a slight bend to it, not detectable until I placed it in the window frame. I called Hector back, the screener, and told him about the bend in the frame. He immediately texted me back, and said to bring the screen back in. He was clearly doing a simple job with integrity.

This is important. It’s important because our small human interactions on a daily basis, keeps us whole and alive with awareness for our fellow humans.

When you notice the struggle that people on the street are having, it’s a way to practice caring and compassion. When I see someone struggling, I try to send them a wish to be free of their suffering.

As an artist I have struggled with the challenges of the marketplace; creating work consistently, and showing up to do the work. However my struggle is quite different from people who are physically and emotionally impaired. They do have hard challenges.

When you drop into your environment on a daily basis, you are becoming more aware of your world.

If you can, notice the bad, the good and the ugly out there. It’s beautiful, extreme, dark, interesting, with bountiful kindness amongst humans; and it’s what we need to pay attention to

Opening up to everyday things can be a source of creative inspiration that propels your curiosity and wonder. Keep your eyes open. Investigate. Pay attention. You’ll be rewarded with insights you never thought possible!