blessings

.
The peace picket gathers on Saturday mornings outside a downtown courthouse on Main Street. People congregate at about 11 and knock off at 12. The 'peaceniks' gather at a point up the Main Street incline. Their signs and banners span the spectrum of war, economics, health care ... the stuff you might expect. Another group, roughly dubbed 'Tea Partiers,' gathers down the incline, nearer to a main intersection. They wave American flags and flags bearing the image of a snake and the words "Don't Tread on Me." They sing "The Star Spangled Banner" and recite "The Pledge of Allegiance." Sometimes they play country-western music on a boombox. They are 'patriotic' is many of the easy ways.

Yesterday, I happened to be the first person to show up for the peace contingent. I stood along the fence in my robe and rakusu and felt the sunshine getting hot. Suddenly, from my left, a medium-sized fellow with tattoos and bearing a "Don't Tread on Me" flag said good morning with the words, "You look a little lonely today." I said pleasantly that the others would be along shortly. And we chatted amiably about the nice weather. We shook hands as he headed back towards his contingent down the block. "Have a blessed weekend," he said with a smile. "And you too," I replied.

He had taken the trouble to walk the fifty or so feet to say good morning and seek out ... what exactly, I don't know. Perhaps some affirmation that there were things that were just as or perhaps more important than political or moral posturings. My robe, somehow, seemed to give him leave to approach and talk and seek my smile. And that made me happy. Why shouldn't people greet each other with a smile, with blessings? And if a bit of clothing helped make that possible ... well, wasn't that nice? ... a kind of let's-get-serious nod to important stuff inspired by some silly robes.

I think the man came for my attire-based blessing. But I suspect he missed the fact that I had received his.
.