“The Whistler”

I have this lovely ritual that I do every time I go for a jog. I take my dog to the dog park along the ocean. As soon as she gets out of the car she runs along the shore with a big smile on her face, so happy and excited to be there.

We are the same that way.

The ocean is my peaceful place. My happy place. I love it there.

I wish I had words to describe how it makes me feel…

I guess, I feel the most connected when I’m there – connected to myself, to others, to nature, to energy, to spirit, God, emotion, and love. I feel centered, balanced and safe with whatever emotion I am feeling.

So, you have this loving, balanced, peaceful woman walking along the ocean with her happy dog and along comes “The Whistler”. He is a man with four dogs who whistles loudly and consistently as he walks along the shore.

I don’t know why I am so irritated by “The Whistler”…maybe it’s the nick nack paddywack songs he chooses or maybe it’s the pitch he whistles in or maybe it’s the fact it’s at the ocean which is my calm, peaceful zone and he’s whistling all over it!

SIGH….Whatever it is I do not think kind thoughts towards this man. No, my Zen moment is gone the minute I can hear, in the distance “nick nack paddy wack give a dog a bone, this old man came rolling home”.

He gets me every time. For about ten to fifteen minutes, my loving, peaceful thoughts and mood disappear and frustration and irritation are in its place. Gone is the connection to myself, and my ocean and there’s no love in sight…no this man connects me to another side…my grumpy side.

I think to myself,

“Would you please stop whistling! Please for the love of God STOP! Come oooonnn, put a cork in it! OMG, SHUT UP!!!”

He may have a paddywack sound track, but inside my head is the song from Sesame Street called “Mad”:

“When she’s walking down the street and people stomping on her feet it makes her mad, (very angry, very very angry)”

Clearly this man loves to whistle and the ocean is his whistle stop. He doesn’t know he’s irritating me, and he has every right to whistle there, so I either walk along the ocean pissed off singing Sesame Street songs to myself or I accept “The Whistler” for what he is and move on…

Sometimes in life, you have to accept that which you cannot change…

As much as I’d like to some days, I can’t change him and his whistle, but I can change how irritated it makes me…I can change the banging thoughts in my head that are ranting and raving and getting me no where. I will not allow “The Whistler” to take my peaceful place away from me. Whistle or no whistle, I can choose the calm, peaceful loving place inside; that is something I do have control over so that’s what I do…

Through his whistle, he gives me a gift. I may not have asked for the gift, and I may not always like the gift, but it is a gift all the same. The gift of PATIENCE, ACCEPTANCE and a quiet understanding of CONTROL and LETTING GO…

What people or situations in your life are gifts in disguise? Take a close look at what they are doing and how you are reacting…maybe there’s a lesson to be learned.

With a nicknack paddywacked smile,

Tina

PS. I have a new Ezine Article , and I’m also now on Twitter and LinkedIn! And don’t forget to find me on Facebook under “Tina Moore’s The 40by40″

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