Summit Wellness: Gratitude - "Moment By Moment"
By Matt Anthony - Summit FM Digital Media Specialist
Lucky to have met,
When we did.
“Now Is The Time” - Jade Bird
In the early 2000’s, I was working as Imaging Director for WTEM-AM, in Washington, DC. It was our second opportunity to be in the nation’s capital. Seven years earlier, I was the PM Drive host for CBS’s Classic Hits station, Arrow 94.7, but at SportsTalk 980, my work was done primarily behind the scenes, writing copy, producing promos, and taking care of the imaging, for our role as the flagship station for Washington Capitals hockey.
Our station was in Rockville, Maryland, situated along one of the most congested roads in Montgomery County. Sometimes for lunch, I would walk down the street, try to avoid the traffic, and snag a sandwich at, what was then, a small chain of restaurants, ones that eventually became ubiquitous nation-wide: Subway.
That day the store was crowded. I waited with the others, and I noticed a young girl being tutored on how to make the various sandwiches. She was obviously a new employee. And the closer I inched towards the person taking orders, I kept my eyes on her. I noticed that she was having trouble communicating in English. She appeared frazzled, and unsure of herself, but I admired her willingness to learn, especially during a very hectic time-period.
I placed my order, and then moved on down the line towards her. She would occasionally ask a customer if they wanted onions or cucumbers for their sandwich, but it seemed easier for her to point at vegetables and wait for the customer’s response.
Finally, it was my turn. I guessed that she may have been of Hispanic origin, but I wasn’t sure. My Spanish is abysmal, but I thought I would try my best to help her out, if that was indeed the case. I mumbled a quiet ‘Hola’, and a brief smile crept across her face. She would point to the various containers of vegetables, such as onions and I responded, “Ceballo…no. Pero, pimientos, por favor.”
Down the line I walked, forgetting the Spanish words for ‘mustard’ and ‘cheese,’ but doing enough pointing and head-nodding to be able to complete my order. Once done, she slid it towards the person ringing out orders, and then tossed me a gentle smile before turning to her next customer.
“If you can’t find the truth right where you are, where do you expect to find it?”
- Dogen Zenji, Zen Master. 1200-1253
Her expressive brown eyes haunted me for the remainder of the day, and on the long drive home back to our small apartment in Annapolis, I thought of that moment during lunch. I wondered how difficult it must have been for her to completely change her life to come to a country where she was unfamiliar with the language and the customs. How chaotic her world must have been, standing there in a fast-food restaurant, on a crowded, busy street, near one of the great cities in the whole world, trying to learn to make American sandwiches in the throes of a lunch-time work-crowd.
Entering Anne Arundel County, I increased the volume on the radio. U2 had just released ‘All That You Can’t Leave Behind,’ and ‘Stuck In A Moment You Can’t Get Out Of’ filled the interior of my car. I considered it a moment of serendipity.
For whatever reason, I’ve thought of that moment several times since then. A few times over the decades, I’ve wondered what happened to that young girl. Did she stay in this country? Was she married? Did she own several Subway franchises? Did she go back to her country of origin?
Right here, right now
There is no other place I want to be.
“Right Here, Right Now” - Jesus Jones
When I was riding motorcycles, I would encounter other riders at gas stations, diners, or rest areas. Being on two wheels without the protection of a steel frame is an automatic invitation to a unique club, a dangerous club, and yet, a fulfilling, bliss-inducing one. Those momentary conversations were instances that I would think about later in the evening, or when I would be trying to fall asleep.
I would think of riders who would pass me going in the opposite direction, and as is sometimes the custom, I would drop my left hand towards the ground, and he or she would do the same, the motorcycle ‘wave.’ As their gust of wind gently nudged me, I would be reminded that the moment…that moment, with that fellow rider…would likely never happen again.
In Zen meditation, we’re taught to try to settle our minds and to focus on the present moment, simply being aware of the act of breathing in and breathing out. It’s tougher than it sounds. We’re taught to be ‘open’ to the present moment. Dogen says, “If you open your hand, you may receive anything.” While I fail repeatedly, I do try to keep in mind that the big, broad brushstrokes of experience are, certainly, to be expected and appreciated. Weddings. Concerts. Funerals. But it’s the instantaneous, one-off moments for which I’m most grateful…or try to be. I believe they help teach us to concentrate on the present. Those moments that, for whatever reason, we can’t get out of. They are experienced, and then, like us, they’re gone.