The wonder and magic of Life lives through us and often it seems in spite of us

We recently moved from a peaceful, beautiful, warm, sunny, quiet 5 acre farm where we would go weeks w/o seeing anyone to The Bay Area, where it can be cold, foggy, noisy with lots of people.

Going through the day to day things to do and watching the people around me. Many don't seem very happy. They seem sad, mad, resigned. I smile at them and often they smile back. Were they just waiting to be reminded? Called out?

My wife was saying how do people live like that day to day?

I said, well, it's not really living. And the IS is still pulsating and shining through. But, put up enough clouds and even the sun seems to get blotted out. Not completely of course. But it can seem that way.

Standing at the hardware store, under a 6 foot sign that says "Keys Made Here" and the keymaker is making a key for me with all the whirring and grinding noise and there are all these key blanks on hangers around and this other customer walks up and asks: '"Do you make keys here."

It was just too funny. I just looked at my wife and giggled.

I said to the key maker:"How often do you get that question?"

He said: "You don't want to know."

I was laughing all the way out. I think maybe I punched through his crust (a bit).

So, how do people do it day to day? Well, *they* don't. Life does. And the conditioned mind gets more conditioned, people get more hypnotized and stop looking, noticing or being present. That is what we see.

Yet, when we are empty, clear, not clouding the sky with mental debris...

• I can watch my car trailer come loose and roll away and smash the neighbors car...and wonder and laugh at it (thanking the impulse to get take the full insurance option).
• I can drive through downtown San Francisco driving a 26 foot fully loaded truck towing my car on the trailer on the freeways and city streets, making tight turns and all, having never done this before...and do it well (enough).
• I can order in chinese food for the first time in 2 years (the country house, while fabulous, was 30 miles from the nearest town) and enjoy the immediacy and convenience.
• I can look around at the fog and listen to the occasional jets flying over (seems we're near SFO's flight path) and the damp and smaller quarters and my wife freaking out thinking we made a mistake...and talk her down. (We didn't make a mistake).
• I can appreciate the different climate ...as well as when the fog lifts and we can see for miles and even see the top of the Golden Gate Bridge in the distance.
• I can appreciate and value a small community, shops, people, hustle, bustle, life.
• I can appreciate drinks and dinner in North Beach.
• I can be happy to be back in the Bay Area. I love the Bay Area.
• I can be nice to people and greet them and meet my new neighbors and say "Hi" and meet the organic grocer lady and enjoy the sights and sounds and the feel.
• And I can reconnect with my wife, re-partner up. We've had it so easy materially and spiritually in the mountains and we've gotten lazy in processing our stuff.
• My kitties have been healing me and I them. My elder cat even invited me to meditate with her. While we sat there she healed my back, sore from moving.
• And I can find a beautiful trail to hike nearby. Saying "Morning" to people as we pass (but not the runners or cyclists - they are too focused on their feet or pedals).
• I can see and treasure the opportunity to put theory into practice.

Life is wonderful, magical in all its ways.

I feel so grateful and lucky to simply be.