There are people living around me that fight from time to time.  Not people in my house.  No, these are neighbors.  But they live close enough to me that they might as well be in my house.

It's 4 a.m. and these neighbors are fighting NOW.  They woke me up.

And darn if my lease doesn't expire for another 3/4 of a year.  And even if it WAS going to be up soon, who likes to move?  THAT takes a lot of energy.

So, what would a Master do in this situation?

My first thought is that a Master wouldn't be living here...but let's just say one came to visit me...

[Here's the imagined dialogue I'm having]

Me:  "Why are there always people disturbing my peace, Master?"

Her:  "Why do you assume that the peace they are disturbing belongs to you?"

Me: "Well, I WAS sound asleep, and now I'm not.  So I would say that their unpeacefulness spilled over into my space."

Her: "But you assume there is a division between you.  I don't have to tell you that we are all ONE and there are no divisions."

Me: "Yes, yes. I know that part.  And I know we create our own reality..."

Her: "You mean, you create your own illusions."

Me: "Okay, yes. I'm creating this.  But why?  Why would I want to experience this in the middle of the night?"

Her: "Perhaps your dreams were just not giving you the lessons you wanted or needed, and so you decided to literally wake yourself up."

Me:  "That seems like an awfully harsh way of doing that.  Couldn't I just use some bells or something?"

Her:  "You tried that, but it didn't work.  So you had to resort to more drastic measures."

Me:  "Okay, so assuming you're right about this, I'm awake now -- now what?"

Her:  "Didn't you tell yourself yesterday that you needed to get up earlier so you could do more reading, writing, reflection, etc.?"

Me:  {sheepishly} "Uh, huh..."

Her:  "Well, pat yourself on the back!  You did it! Now, why don't you use this time as you wish?  Be happy and joyful that you succeeded in your quest."

Me:  "Thanks for that..."

[the neighbors stopped fighting during this conversation]

Having reached the mid-point of my 40th year, I find it extremely ironic that it has taken me THIS LONG to figure out even just a little bit of this stuff we call life.

 My son will be 18 just after I turn 41 and I am amazed at how different from me he has become.  Where are my genes?  Where is my influence?  Who is this male child I gave birth to?  

 I was reading a diary of mine that I had kept when I was his age and I had to laugh.  Who was that girl?  Why was she so angry?  And self-hating?  Why couldn't she see her own beauty?  

What is it about young adulthood that makes us all so difficult to be around?

 I love my son.  I hope someday he understands how much.