I looked at the old man who leans by the sidewalk to strum his guitar. His music is sound, though he is blind. The stray dog, a homeless animal, which accompanies him wherever he goes, is his first loyal fan. It eggs him on by barking a warn when he misses a note.He whistles a tune, strums a warm-up stroke, and then settles into the melody. The sincerity with which he goes about it is what makes me like him more than his music. He’s a man of small needs, I guess, he never breaks his rhythm to count the cents and dollars.

Twilight time it was and I happened to pass by with Meggy.

We just stood transfixed as the old man was passionately belting out his wares gleefully. Foot tapping, we patiently heard it all. Then Meggy, the kindhearted soul, dropped a dollar. Once he was through, he seemed to be in a hurry.

Against his nature, he counted the money with his fumbling fingers and felt his way guided by his poodle. He was out of the mac with a piping hot coffee and some delicacy. He immediately spread the buffet and made way for his poodle to whet its appetite. When the dog feasted on making a slurpy noise, he leaned on to the pavement, closed his eyes, patted its mane and smiled… Maybe his first of the day. He looked an angel to me. Yes, we still have people like this.

A moment of Zen for you:

Eat to live.
Don’t live to eat.
Earn to live.
Don’t live to earn.
Count smiles.
Not dollars

Feel disturbed? A little unhappy?

Dig out your childhood picture and see for yourself what you were and what you have become. As a child you could see you were sporting a smile… Did you ever wonder why?

You never judged anyone then. You never were too ambitious. You didn’t know you had to dress a certain way or pretend a certain way for acceptance.

You were yourself.

You were happy.

Want to go to someplace that will make you infinitely happy?

Hawaii?

Oriental destinations?

World tour?

No.

Revisit your childhood. Happiest place to be!