I just got busted. Not criminally busted, but caught once again writing “I Love You” as my signature when I charged a purchase yesterday. The sales clerk looked at the signature (which they very rarely do in America), and twisted her face up a little as if her brain was struggling to fire the proper sequence of synapses to bring comprehension to what she was seeing. She looked at the back of my credit card (which I haven’t signed) to validate that signature and I said, “who’s to say that’s not my signature?” She smiled, laughed and thanked me telling me it’s her favorite one she’s seen. (See previous post: Saying I Love You).
It’s such a lovely practice, that of consciously trying to be with the loving connection which naturally exists between ourselves and our fellow humans. I encourage you to try it out as you scramble to buy your last minute holiday presents today.
A few nights ago, I had dinner with some friends and included in that group was a very bright young man now attending college at Princeton. At the dinner table, he spoke passionately of wanting to have an impact on the world. In orderto do so, he hoped to create personal wealth and in so doing be able to change the way we do things – seemed to me a bit like a Steve Jobs approach. While there may be some validity to that approach, I’ve come to believe that the best way to have meaningful change in the world is to actually love other people, to break down the barriers between people through loving interaction. I hugged a burly begrudging security guard at a hospital yesterday – little gestures like that, chip by little chip, can reshape humanity.
My credit card slips and the practice that entails is one of my simple ways of trying to make change. It’s not important that they see the “I Love You.” signature. What’s important is the practice of actually loving others, including people we don’t really even know.
Wishing you Happy Holidays and a Lovingness-Filled New Year.