A Simple Walk: With a Glance

I was walking to class the other morning. It was a beautiful morning and I stopped to breathe in the warm air of Ojai, a city in Ventura County, California. It was such a nice contrast to the cold January winter of Wisconsin, the state where I live.

The Ojai oaks whispered. I listened. And then I continued on my way. Some maintenance workers were alongside the sidewalk, taking a respite from their labors. I glanced at one and caught his eye. I smiled and he smiled back. What seemed to occur was an exchange of energy. I felt elated and kept on walking. I looked to my right. And glanced at the mountain range, wondering briefly what it would be like to meander along its ridges. Then I came across another group of men also working on landscapes. I caught the eye of one of them and smiled. The same interchange occurred, and another and another.

Then I noticed cars with drivers, and I caught the drivers’ eyes. It was just a glance. But everything shifted. I saw myself touching with a glance the people I passed on my walk. The glance lasted for only a second and each person burst into joy and smiled back at me. It’s amazing what just a glance can do. By the time I arrived at class, which was a twenty-minute walk, I had passed fifty people. And each had filled me with joy. I was so high when I got to class. And that was just a glance.

When you acknowledge people living in the world, they can receive your love. I am love suspended in love, experiencing love. So why not experience love with every single thing and person on the planet?