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Self | Pets
Staying in the Moment With a Blind Man’s Dog
How being present can bring you joy, satisfaction, and fascinating stories.
The sandwich shop was egregiously slow and smelled like a marijuana plantation. These two facts were probably related. I stood at the tail end of a long line of mismatched people, who were all united in impatience and hunger. At the front, a middle-aged, brown-haired woman held up her half-eaten Italian BLT as she lectured the unfortunate employee on the status of customer service in America. She got louder, “And this is why we have so many problems.”
I sighed and thought, “Another day in Florida.” Normal, trivial errands routinely devolve into circus acts, with people blocking traffic while walking their illegal Galapagos turtle across the street. Quiet outdoor restaurants are interrupted by zealots with megaphones shouting about the immorality of various acts of pleasure, per some bible verse that seems open to interpretation. It often feels like half the state has one foot in the grave and the other on a banana peel.
Behind the woman was a peaceful and blind Asian man. He was next in line. He stood 6’0 tall, was 30-ish-years-old, with short hair and a black sweater. He wore oversized sunglasses and a muted expression. Next to him was a beautiful…
