A Lazy Boy Learns a Lesson

After pontificating previously about the Buddhistic importance of not judging actions - but rather the motivation of the action - I was delivered a lesson highlighting my lazy ignorance.

Once I completed my previous Daily “Intention is All”…

https://atsuccess.com/blog/2022/08/intention-all.html

…I put on the bath. Ten minutes later - just as I happily settled into the hot water - I heard my phone ringing downstairs.

Dang!

I thought: “It’ll ring out - I’ll call them back.”

But it kept ringing and ringing - until soon, I started to feel irritation at my moment of serenity being disturbed by this unrelenting insistent person!

I decided who it was - hardly anyone rings me these days - so I started cursing B’s imposity* and impatience. I conducted an imaginary conversation:

“Why don’t you just text me?!”

“I can’t answer now for God’s sake!!!”

“You disrespect me…”

***

And then I realised: I am judging the action.

“You just pontificated to your readers, urging them to ask the question - what is the intention? - and here you are ignoring your own advice!”

Then all manner of new thoughts flooded over my irritation: maybe something has happened? Perhaps it is urgent? Could my daughter be in trouble?

But I quickly dismissed that - based on her past behaviour and that we’d scheduled to meet up, I redecided it was B. Then I thought: why does she keep ringing like this?! And of course - as I thought of B’s intention - it was clear she must be motivated by concern. How can I judge that so negatively? I am only seeing her action through my selfish discomfort.

I closed the bathroom door and started brushing my teeth to obliterate the ringing phone and my emotional confusion. I felt sure the ringing must stop soon.

It didn’t. 

Previously B had rung 4/5 times in a row when she couldn’t reach me. 

“She must be doing that,” I thought.

Since I could find no peace: I abruptly ended my bath, wrapped a towel around my dipping body and hurried downstairs.

It was not B.

It was not anyone.

When I asked the caller:

“Must of been pocket call xx”

*I know “imposity” is not a word, but it should be, as in “to impose”. I like its sound, rhythm and use in that sentence. If Shakespeare can add 1700 words to the English language, why can’t I add one more?