Walking up the lane after morning service this morning. Somebody before me had drawn a long arrow and then a question mark at the top in the light dusting of snow. In answer I drew an eight spoked wheel with two arrows around it’s circumference indicating the Turning of the Wheel of the Law in a clockwise direction. Then I drew another arrow and question mark, hoping others might carry on the conversation. It was about direction I suppose. About moving, about moving on. About right action. Clever stuff! I walked on.

By chance I turned and saw a monk walking right through the middle of the conversation! Hay! You’ve just walked over my handy work! I shouted. Oh, was that YOU? She shouted back. (We were at a distance from each other). YES! But you know, the moment had passed. The fun had been had and the potential for more, for others, had passed. You just can’t get special about such things. Snow brings out playfulness and that’s for sure.

We are expecting heavy snow falls this week.

I sometimes wake up at night sweating at the memory of something truly awful that I saw once. I can’t remember where or when or the context but perhaps it was in a cafe on holiday, or in a car park. A distracted guy in his thirties nearby was berating his five year old son about spilling something or some other minor problem. And then suddenly that child crumpled under some terrible unseen weight of guilt and regret, profoundly apologising for his mortal sense of inadequacy, pleading and crying out “I’m sorry daddy, I’m so sorry, I’m really really sorry”. Truly awful, I still weep for that child sometimes.

The Taste of Regret, Iain of Little House in the Paddy.

Interestingly enough I have a distant memory of witnessing a similar shocking event to the one Iain speaks about. It too was played out in public. It wasn’t that long ago I think. Ah yes! It was in Tesco’s cafe in Reading near the Priory. The dad was shouting, Don’t you ever, EVER do that again. Then, coming up really close, Do you HEAR ME? The small boy was beside himself with apologies and promises. It was a truly awful scene.

Yes, one weeps for all such children

I’d quite forgotten. It happened while crossing the Bay Bridge on the way to San Francisco airport. That was nearly two months ago now. We were lining up to pay the bridge toll. A car in the next lane asked to get in our lane and go ahead of us. We indicated to let the vehicle in. When it came our turn to pay the toll there was no charge. The car ahead had paid.

Yes, I’d quite forgotten this event. Thank you stranger.