Changing Lives through Dancing by David Woodbury
Arthur Murray Santa Monica
Several years ago, I purchased two metal water bottles from Amazon, and I have refilled them a kagillion times, and I have avoided using thousands of plastic bottles. Even today, I keep my stainless-steel bottles with me at all times. They never spill or leak inside my work bag. With some ice added, they stay cool forever.
As time went on, I wanted to have piping hot coffee with me at my desk at the dance studio. I then purchased a thermos for under $20 that is truly fantastic. I always pour boiling hot water into the cylinder and let it sit for a spell to heat up. I run a hot water through my coffee maker to make sure the machine is hot (a YouTube tip). I even heat up my cream. I quickly make the coffee and seal the stopper. The top of the thermos serves as a small cup. Yum-O. I always have super-hot coffee with me wherever I am!
I consider myself good in my kitchen and I carefully wash my steel water bottles and my thermos daily. The other day, I found a dark piece of something in my coffee. That night, I carefully looked at the inside and I found that I had black gook inside. After gagging, I put some Bar Keeper’s Friend inside with some water and shook shook shook it. Then I put a good scrubber inside and I was shocked to see what came out. I had not cleaned it as well as I had thought.
After soaking it for a night, I cleaned it again, and more gook came out. I scrubbed it until it was shiny and perfectly clean inside. To say the least, I am thoroughly cleaning my water bottles and coffee thermos daily inside and out!
While cleaning, the blogger and writer in my said, there is a parable here. This is it:
I know the purpose of the bottles. I know how to prepare them and make them work for me. I love them and enjoy the ice-cold water, and the hot hot coffee wherever I am. Then this thought came to me. I am a container carrying affirmations and words of comfort to others all the time. I can give a cool word of praise, or a deeper, stronger hot affirmation to someone is need of stronger support. I try to always be a good listener and ready to give a comforting reply to anyone I’m around.
Then I thought, am I clean inside when I speak to others? Am I truly listening to others or am I listening with “gook” inside of me? I think of my coffee thermos with that black stuff in it and I think, what’s inside of me when I’m interacting with others? Have I given myself a good washing and cleansing before helping others? Am I a gook person?
When I am listening in conversations, am I thinking of my reply and not paying attention to what they are saying, or am I truly taking in their words, emotions, and helping their needs? Although I usually know the solution, am I waiting for others to finish speaking and am I delivering the best answers at the best time and with a voice and body language that appeals to them?
I just now finished my hot coffee before writing this and I looked inside. Other than needing a normal cleaning, it is shiny inside. A moment ago, I drank some cool water from my metal water bottle, and I knew that it was clean inside.
Have you ever spoken with someone and you were agitated from something that had happened earlier? Perhaps you did not feel well and were not sending your best energy forward. It could be that you did not truly like the person with whom you were speaking, or you were correcting them as you listened. I’m sorry to say I’m guilty of all the above.
Now, before I speak with others, I give myself a little “rinse off” from the inside out. I take a moment and wash my hands, have a little sip of water, or just take a few deep breaths and then put on a good smile and out I go. I’m clean as I can be to be the best I can be.
Some days, I’ll see many students, couples and singles, and I pour out my heart to them. It’s exhilarating and exciting to live this way. At the end of those days, I’m completely spent at the end. I’ve given all I can. I’ve allowed as much clean “water of life” flow through me as much as I can. I don’t mind the fatigue, I’m happy I gave my best and all that I had.
So, as I drink my hot coffee and sip my cool water, I now think about how clean I keep all my containers and how much better I now maintain them daily. I also try to keep clean my mind, heart, and soul daily to stay fresh and keep the “waters of life” flowing through me.
What happens to you in your own life that requires daily refreshing and servicing? How do you do this and keep up with it? While washing my coffee thermos, I think about this blog all the time. I sometimes stop and close my eyes and pray for someone. Sometimes, after closing my thermoses, I give the tops an extra turn to seal them, then I give them all a shimmy-shake to keep everything cool, or hot and blended. I like the sounds of the ice cubes keeping my water cold and I love the smell of my hot thermos every time I open it up and pour out the steaming delicious coffee.
For me, it’s the small things that give me ideas for writing. I’m happy to share the stories of my two cold bottles, and my hot thermos. Guck and all, I have learned another lesson about life. Keep washed and cleaned inside and out is my daily motto.
May I pour you a cup of perfect coffee from a sparkling clean thermos?
Thank you for reading and Keep on Dancing!
David Woodbury