Calm Down, James

I went to the grocery store at 7:00 to avoid the crowds. When I returned, my special magnet that opens of the door didn’t work. I noticed a sign, in Ukrainian. I could decipher that it said something about pushing the C and doing something to the digit; then, at the same time open with the key (as usual), and don’t stop pushing C. I tried a few things with no success.

So I sent a message to a friend, asking for translation help. Then I remembered that I was going to have a lesson in 15 minutes, so I called my student. He speaks English on a low level, but I thought it was worth a shot. While I was talking to him, I saw that someone was coming to the building.

This was a man, about a head shorter than me with a huge beard, wearing a stocking cap and fairly significant winter coat. I was wearing a sweatshirt, and was not cold. The small man was also wearing a gown, skirt, something…I guess it was a robe, and he seemed to have some chains around his neck. He was a monk. In Russian, I asked if he was going into the building (of course he was, he was standing at the top of the steps right outside the door, just like me…Where else would he be going?).

He quietly nodded. Then I showed that I had my door opener, and I asked how to get in. “It doesn’t work,” he said. I knew that, of course, but I guess I seemed a bit worried or impatient as I asked what the sign said.

He was really cool, totally at peace with the universe. He said, real Yoda-like. Chas. Pridyot  “Soon. He is coming.”

Then I looked again at the sign and asked again what it said. 

He said again, with annoyance that contrasted with his general calm, at-peace-with-the-world demeanor, “It doesn’t work.” His eyes added the words, “Little boy,” or maybe “Silly foreigner.” And sure enough, 5 seconds later, a young woman walked out the door and we could go in.

I was quite impressed by his super-calm, take it as it comes, peaceful attitude. Even before he walked up, I was thinking that I should just use a little Daoism, and chill out. It was like his Monastic training allowed him to look through the door and see the person approaching from the other side. The whole thing reminds me of Rhonda’s words that I heard so many times, so many years ago:

Calm down, James.