Comments on: Everyday grace in the supermarket http://taoofdating.com/everyday-grace-in-the-supermarket/ The smart person's source for dating advice and information on persuasion, sexuality, networking and other essential life skills they never taught you at school Fri, 26 Feb 2010 19:42:36 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: clayhalo http://taoofdating.com/everyday-grace-in-the-supermarket/comment-page-1/#comment-1671 clayhalo Thu, 10 Dec 2009 13:39:03 +0000 http://taoofdating.com/?p=101#comment-1671 I was stopped at the bottom of Topanga and PCH at a red light, on my way to the Farmer's Market in Santa Monica.<br>I'd seen the man on the center median a dozen times, but had never spoken to him. I was always too many cars back from the crosswalk. But this morning he was up close and personal, hunched over in his wheel chair, long, gangly sprigs of hair sparsely populating his head. He looked at me and squinted over the top of his oversized glasses in a motion that lifted them back up to their perch on his rather prominent proboscis. I noticed he was wielding a fishing net with a long handle. <br><br>"What’s the net for?" I asked.<br><br>"Catching minnows!" he said, smiling a little and muttering to himself.<br><br>"Minnows?" I exclaimed. “You're not gonna catch any minnows sitting here, big guy!" He mumbled something I couldn't make out. "What do you do with the minnows after you catch them?"<br><br>"I use em to catch big fish," he grinned.<br><br>"I see. Well, you'd better get your ass down to the beach if you want to catch anything other than a pretty girl."<br><br>Okay. I have no shame. I'm flirting with a homeless dude in a wheelchair with a fish net. And I'm actually having fun.<br><br>"Already found one right here!" he chuckled. Homeless dude was flirting back!<br><br>The light turned green.<br><br>"Well, have a great day," I giggled. "Catch lots of minnows...but not too many pretty girls. I might get jealous."<br><br>"God bless, darlin’. You made my day."<br><br>As I drove away feeling like a million bucks, I realized that giving the gift of my attention–my presence in the moment–is one of the most valuable gifts I can give to anyone. And just like a boomerang, it's a gift that came right back to me. I was stopped at the bottom of Topanga and PCH at a red light, on my way to the Farmer's Market in Santa Monica.
I'd seen the man on the center median a dozen times, but had never spoken to him. I was always too many cars back from the crosswalk. But this morning he was up close and personal, hunched over in his wheel chair, long, gangly sprigs of hair sparsely populating his head. He looked at me and squinted over the top of his oversized glasses in a motion that lifted them back up to their perch on his rather prominent proboscis. I noticed he was wielding a fishing net with a long handle.

“What’s the net for?” I asked.

“Catching minnows!” he said, smiling a little and muttering to himself.

“Minnows?” I exclaimed. “You're not gonna catch any minnows sitting here, big guy!” He mumbled something I couldn't make out. “What do you do with the minnows after you catch them?”

“I use em to catch big fish,” he grinned.

“I see. Well, you'd better get your ass down to the beach if you want to catch anything other than a pretty girl.”

Okay. I have no shame. I'm flirting with a homeless dude in a wheelchair with a fish net. And I'm actually having fun.

“Already found one right here!” he chuckled. Homeless dude was flirting back!

The light turned green.

“Well, have a great day,” I giggled. “Catch lots of minnows…but not too many pretty girls. I might get jealous.”

“God bless, darlin’. You made my day.”

As I drove away feeling like a million bucks, I realized that giving the gift of my attention–my presence in the moment–is one of the most valuable gifts I can give to anyone. And just like a boomerang, it's a gift that came right back to me.

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