[vash]

the "have your say" thread got me thinking of mine.

i have always had anger management issues. road rage, stuff like that. things bothered me. road rage almost got me and my fiance killed. i flipped off a guy while we were on my motorcycle and he was a bigger rager..he went at us with his car. while i plotted my first murder, my special lady calmed me down. she told me a Buddhist children's story. here's the story:

there were two monks walking along a trail. they were making a long journey back home. part way home, they come to a wide shallow stream. they found a hottie (sorry, i'm paraphrasing/embellishing) standing there trying to figure how to cross the stream. without saying a word, one of the monks walks up to her, sweeps her up, and carries her across. he places her safely and dry on the other side and without a word, continues on.

the two monks walk for days and days, but finally gets back to the temple.. the second monk (finally) speaks up. he says, "brother, i dont think you did the right thing. it is forbidden for us to touch a female. you should not have carried that woman"

the first monk replies, "brother, are you still carrying that woman? unlike you, i put her down a long time ago".

this clicks with me..why let insignificant things (they all eventually become insignificant) bother you?

my mantra..well it is really a secret code between my wife and i, is:

"be the other monk"

when i am anguishing over something stupid. when i am bothered, she whispers it to me.