The Alchemist, A Hospital Visit and My Trip is Half Over

I’ve been at the orphanage in Mexico for 2 weeks now. My trip is half over. 

I read a fiction book for the first time in decades. That is something I don’t think most of society does anymore. I’ve always enjoyed stories that take you out of your world and into a place your worries don’t exist. However for some reason I don’t have time to do it. Probably because I volunteer so much, oh wait, that is also why I volunteer so much!

The book was The Alchemist. Here are my big take aways:

- When you have a dream, the whole universe conspires to help you achieve it.
- You must always know what it is that you want. 

- Signs and omens should not be ignored. Or soon you will be unable to see them and they will no longer appear. 

- We typically see the world as we would like it to be and not the way it actually is. 

- Everything that has happened in your life will help you on every future event in your life. You will know how to read situations and are closer to becoming one with the universe. So you must pay attention to your experiences. 

- God speaks through all creation, you need only to pay attention and listen. 

- When we love, we always strive to become better than we are. 

- Every dream ignored becomes a curse. If we have a dream and we don’t go after it, it haunts our future thoughts of what could have been. It makes our current situation something that has held us back. Our current situation can’t be something good (no matter how good it actually is). You must go after your dreams. 

- When you don’t live in the past or the future you can concentrate on the present. This will make you a happy person. 

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As far as I can tell, Oswaldo twisted his ankle while playing Dodge Ball last night. I was able to drive them to the hospital and hang out in the emergency room for a while. The ER is pretty much the same here. It is a bunch of hurting sick people and their loved ones helping them get from location to location in a place that is doing their best to care for whatever gets thrown at them that night. 

About the only difference is that their prices are posted

Can you believe an ambulance ride is only $100, I’m temped to get one just for the experience. 

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Random thought I must look good in my glasses. Just look how cute these kids look in them: 

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As I reflect on what I’ve done these last two weeks at the orphanage, I can’t help but to think of what I haven’t done:

- I haven’t had the internal drive (call it obsession) to workout every day. 

- I haven’t had my customers (or others) díctate moment by moment what my next worry was. 

- I haven’t had meetings to attend or prepare for. 

- I haven’t “had” to wake up each morning. I was excited to wake up each and every day.
- I haven’t had the snow or cold of winter dictate what I must wear or how much earlier I must leave due to traffic. 

I haven’t had to do “something” (this is my internal drive that won’t let me be still, I am always moving, it’s my blessing and my curse).

I have been able to just sit on a bench and talk or do nothing. 

I know that I can’t actually live this way, there are things that must be done in the course of daily life.  But for the last two weeks, I’ve had the perfect sabbatical.

Just rest.