The Blind Woman - Part One

Hello Dear Ones,

Last night I went to a drug store to get a couple of items for my daughter when a $3.99 bar of Swiss Chocolate filled with Tiramisu was calling my name (I heard it loud and clear!).

Before I continue you must know that I’m an avid believer in eating chocolate at least 6 out of 7 days each week. Having grown up in Switzerland you can imagine that chocolate was a part of our daily diet – a must have. Switzerland has only 3 approved preservatives compared to 15 in the United States. And as you may know, it’s the preservatives that may cause our illnesses including cancer and more. If there is one thing I wish people would learn how to read it’s the “ingredients” not the “nutritional value” label.

The chocolate content in this bar is barely 20-30%. The rest is sugar, butter and other non-beneficial stuff. I asked myself silently why I was craving this bar of chocolate when I had a bar of chocolate at home that was 85% “proof.” And while I was walking through the aisles thinking about the answer I realized that earlier yesterday morning I had to say “good bye” to a friend and my heart was aching a little. I started to think about my friend and how it got to this place and wondered how things could have ended up different. As my mind was weighing the “good bye” and the urge for chocolate, I found myself in line with the items I went there for in the first place, without the bar of chocolate, when something interesting happened.

The woman in front of me was blind and accompanied by her guide dog, a beautiful yellow lab. All she wanted to buy was a can of ice tea, costing a total of $1.04. She had her $1 bill ready but when the cashier asked for the 4 cents, the blind woman said she would have to look for it in her pocket. The cashier responded that she would cancel the order and hold the ice tea for her until she got back in line with the correct amount. The blind woman took her dollar and walked outside before I could say anything. I was flabbergasted at her lack of empathy and impatience and told the cashier to put the ice tea on my tab.

It is December, and although we’re in northern California, this took place at night, in the dark and it was freezing cold. After paying for it I walked outside where the blind lady was digging through her many pockets of her jackets and pant pockets trying to find the appropriate change. I handed her the ice tea and said: “Here is your ice tea.” She apologized for not being able to find her quarter in time and for making me wait in line and asked me what she owed me: “Nothing, enjoy it,” I said. She thanked me profusely and I walked off to my car.

Suddenly a huge epiphany occurred to me as I walked across the parking lot with a slight bounce in my walk. All of a sudden the dots between unhappiness, ego, giving, being overweight and sorrowful eating made all the sense to me! And I remembered what my good role model and Hero, Walter Russell, told me…

A story I want to share with you tomorrow. Stay tuned for part 2 of this story and check back in tomorrow!

Meanwhile, here is a fun “personality test” you can take online. There are only 4 questions (that make you think) and there are no right or wrong answers. http://memoriter.net/flash/test.html