By David Ficarri
-Diversions with Dave-
I was sitting on my porch trying to come up with an idea for a story when my neighbor approached and asked me what I was working on. I told her I just saw the pictures and destruction from Hurricane Laura and what a crazy year this has been.
She pulled out her phone and said, “Well, this might interest you”. She proceeded to show me another neighbor’s porch. On it was a statue of Buddha with his head completely detached and positioned right next to his body.
It was the perfect symbolism and a microcosm of what this year has become, a year where even Buddha is losing his head.
We got into a larger discussion of how this year has cost so many people their happiness and the anxiety it has created along with the long term ramifications of losing our inner peace.
A short while later, I look above me and there are three birds perched softly on the telephone wires. Of course, it’s obligatory that whenever that occurs, one must sing Bob Marley’s “Three Little Birds” song.
“Don’t worry about a thing, ‘cause every little thing gonna be alright.”
Luckily, I didn’t scare the birds off with my singing, but I think they gave me disapproving glares. As the song played in my head, the birds sat still as if they were strategically and symbolically placed to help ease my personal anxiety.
Some time later, I was driving to grab lunch and another beautiful song came on the radio. Any time Jim Croce sings I listen, but in this particular moment, “Is that nobody ever had a rainbow until he had the rain,” seemed especially fitting.
“Tomorrow’s Gonna Be a Brighter Day” always serves as a subtle reminder that today’s storms in our lives are temporary and it’s those struggles that make us appreciate the beauty of life.
Those events strung together made me think the universe noticed my own anxiety creeping in and wanted to do its part.
In talking to many friends this year, the one common sentiment is that everyone is feeling a little “off.”
The normal stresses and anxieties we struggle with have been magnified to the nth degree.
It’s been hard to find solace or comfort anywhere and there doesn’t seem to be any shelter from the storms. If you’re reading this, I hope you can find your peace through your friends, your family, your faith or even the music you listen to. Which brings me back to Buddha and the best way to deal with problems in life.
The saying goes, “If there is no solution to the problem then don't waste time worrying about it. If there is a solution to the problem then don't waste time worrying about it.”
This year has robbed us of many things but don’t let it steal your inner peace. Keep everything in perspective because as someone once said, “If it costs you your peace it’s too expensive.”