Humans Being Human Beings

    I love epiphanies. I got one the other day while reading a book. These things pop into my head, and I am not  exactly sure where they come from. They show up in my mind when I least expect it, like when reading a book. Buddhist call it a place of no mind. I came to a realization.
    We are all humans being. At one time I believed that particular thought ended there. I am a human being, that’s it. The epiphany I discovered is the realization that if I am a human being and everyone else is a human being; we are all humans being something in each and every moment.    
    I can be anything at any given moment. At this moment, I am being a writer. This is the point where exploring this epiphany becomes interesting. I can modify myself. At this moment, I am a human “being” a great writer. I can be anywhere on the scale. I am a human “being” a mediocre writer. I am a human “being” a fantastic writer.
    I began looking around at other people in my surroundings. Some were humans being loving, some were humans being reckless, some were humans being annoyed or angry. The next moment they were humans being some other trait. We are humans being many things in one day.
    I decided to experiment with other humans being. Usually, if a human were being discourteous to me, I would naturally meet that action with a equal reaction. Today I decided to change the scenario.
    Have you ever found yourself unfortunate enough to be in the line with a check out clerk that has been on their feet for eight hours or longer dealing with all sorts of problems? You will almost always find a human being disgruntled. I soon found one and entered into the their line.
    I stood and waited my turn to stand face to face with this person. I was able to see the effects of her explosive energy on every customer that went through the line before me. I was going to use my new method I like to call, Defusing the Bomb. If Tony Robbins can do it then why can’t I? I believed I could do a little mind freak of my own.
    Fifteen minutes later I was standing in front of a bomb with the name tag Alice. She was ready to explode at any moment. I slowly began placing my items from my shopping cart on the belt.
    She fired the first shot. “Hello Sir, did you find everything you needed.” Her voice resonated with reserve.
    “I did Alice, thank you.” I called her by her name. Green wire snipped on the bomb. No explosion. I do not believe many people ever call these employees by the name on their tags.
    I thought I saw her face soften a little. I asked her about her summer and she told me about her family. She talked about her husband and her children and the great vacation they had traveling the roads and seeing the sights. I could see the tension draining away as she rang up the last item from my cart. She said, “Your total is $85.56.”
    I snipped the red wire as I said, “Thank you , Alice. I really appreciate you.” The Alice Bomb successfully diffused with a smile surfacing to her lips.
    Alice is now a human being pleasant. I returned her smile with a smile of my own as I swiped my bank card. The scanner beeped and declined my card. I saw the shoulders of everyone in line behind me slump as they observed an anticipated delay.
    Alice, now transformed by the bomb defusing method, patiently smiled and said, “No worries, let me try.” Several attempts later the card still declined. Alice quickly utilized the hotline and summoned a manager. I could now hear disgruntled whispers in the line and a few customers began to vacate the register in search of a new line where the flow was not disrupted.
    A hurried looking manager appeared after what seemed a long wait. I could tell the bomb named Alice was beginning to rewire. She became a human being annoyed at the antics of the Universe. After the manager made several more attempts and the card continued to decline, she picked up the phone and made a call. Within a few minutes she shoved the card back to me and said, “I’m sorry sir, but this card is no good. Do you have another method of payment?“
    I held up an empty wallet.
    “We must refuse your purchase.” The manager fled the scene on hurried footsteps no doubt to defuse another problem.
    I began to feel a disturbance within the force. I quickly called my wife who was out of town on a business trip and quickly learned that she had misplaced her purse on the subway and called in to report the cards as stolen. We share a joint account. This turned into a major dilemma. 
    Everyone, from Alice the bomb, the store manager, and the remaining customers behind me were all humans being annoyed. I felt helpless. I found myself standing in a mine field of disgruntled people. Not only could I not buy groceries for the week and feed myself, my gas tank sat on empty. I did not even have enough gas to drive home. I felt the disturbance at my core growing hot and I was about to explode.
    All eyes were on me. I could not do anything but storm out. I think I will slap the door greeter on my way out.
That did not happen. I thought about what the Mahatma Gandhi said. “We must become the change that we want to see.” The change came through my own perception in any situation. I knew that on the intellectual level, but for the words of Mahatma Gandhi to become infused into my being I must practice.
    Before I made an exit though the door I was able to give the door greeter a heartfelt smile. I knew that today I had made a change in the world. It was little, but I know that some of the smallest things any of us can do today make a big difference in the world tomorrow.