The Many Flavors of Humble Pie

I believe that I have blogged about the concept of instant karma.  I do not know what I did in my last life to deserve the fastest acting instant karma as a gift from the universe for this life. And with this grandiose thought that mine is the fastest acting karma anyone could possibly imagine, you might understand that I do also have a few grudges against the universe for some of the parking tickets that came round within 5 minutes of the meter going red, or the year of speeding tickets - once stopped for going 60 in a 55 mph speed zone.  Yes I was speeding but 5 mph over the speed limit sees so, well - the cop was in the right - and I did apologize and I believe I would say that I have eaten my share of Humble Pie in these situations.

Tonight I was feeling pretty good.  After all I had run Gromit on trails for an hour in the early morning.  After I got home I spent time cleaning both showers and upstairs bedrooms.  I looked under the bed to make sure I had sucked up all the extra fur balls from under the bed - what was I thinking, there were shoes that I put in the closet, slippers that I also put in the closet, single socks that were likely matches for the ones atop the folding table in the laundry room, books that needed to be dusted and shelved - and I was really patting myself on the back for this work.  I mean Kristin is out of town.  I am taking care of our cats, our dogs, the neighbors cats, and cleaning the whole house.  The universe is going to reward me.  I was so good I moved the bed away from the wall to vacuum up the hair balls behind the headboard.  Yep I was going to get some karmic points with the universe...and so I looked one final time under the dust cover to admire my hard work only to see....cat barf.  Yep the universal reward for thinking too highly of your effort is cat barf - a little more humble pie.  I moved the bed and cleaned up the cat barf all 5 spots that I could see once the bed was moved.

I finished cleaning the house and had some dinner.  And knew I needed to spend some time with Chewie.  He had been patient all day lazing about waiting for some attention and time away from the house.  So I grabbed his leash, some clean up bags and my ipod and off we went.  There was a lilt in my step as started to think about what a great pet owner I am taking Chewie for a walk.  He is such a good dog and I am such a good person.   The ipod started playing the Dixie Chicks version of Landslide and my hips started swaying and I was swinging my arms back and forth and realized that what I was rhythmically swinging my hands up and down - leash in one hand and.....a bag of dog doodoo in the other one - OMG - I was on the parkway, in my own neighborhood swinging dog sh*t up and down.  Then I started to laugh out loud - now I realize I think I am this hip, well rounded hard working dog owner who is active, about to turn 50 and  yep - I swing sh*t and laugh out loud to myself - great.

Now I can think of all kinds of metaphors for swinging your bag of poop.  I decided that I might have been swinging my ego a bit - in truth I am not any more or less important or deserving of my dogs, Kristin or my family and friends then the next person.  The universe has no payment system or IOU's out to me.  I think I get to enjoy my work but hope that I remember to just be in the moment and not looking for what I get in return.  I hope I remember not to think about what a great dog person I am for walking my dog but instead  just stay in the moment and enjoy the time Chewie and I have when we are out together walking.  We are just walking together and that is enough and it does not really mean anything more or less.  It is not anymore sacred or less sacred than anyone else's moment.   For me that is it  - I am part of the sacred universe with all the other sacred sentient beings.   Then it is less about instant karma or  humble pie and more about compassion and connection.