The Law of the Garbage Truck

I found this lovely story (or life lesson really) on the blog spot http://meditation-air.blogspot.com/ (by Francisca) and I hope she doesnt mind that I include it here on my own blog. But it really hit a chord today...

From my own meditation practice I have received this amazing gift that sometimes allows me to just watch things unfold without getting stuck in the story…

The Law of the Garbage Truck

"A couple of years ago I learned this lesson. I learned it in the back of a NewYork City taxi cab. Here's what happened. I hopped in a taxi, and we took off for Grand Central Station. We were driving in the right lane when, all of a sudden, A black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver slammed on his brakes, skidded, and missed the other car's back end by just inches!

The driver of the other car, the guy who almost caused a big accident, whipped his head around and he started yelling at us. My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. And I mean, he was really friendly. So, I said, "Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital!"

And this is when my taxi driver told me what I now call, "The Law of the Garbage Truck".

Many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it. And if you let them, they'll dump it on you. When someone wants to dump on you, don't take it personally. You just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on. You'll be happy you did.

I started thinking, how often do I let Garbage Trucks run right over me? And how often do I take their garbage and spread it to other people: At work, at home, on the streets? It was that day I said, "I'm not going to do it anymore." I began to see garbage trucks. Like in the movie "The Sixth Sense," the little boy said, "I see dead people." Well, now "I see Garbage Trucks." I see the load they're carrying. I see them coming to drop it off. And like my Taxi Driver, I don't make it a personal thing; I just smile, wave, wish them well, and I move on."

Hopefully we can all be more aware and compassionate tabout our own and everyone else's ‘garbage’.. see it coming… and let it pass by… Let it slide!