[Another sweet share from our Awakin Circle last Wednesday, that I felt was too good not to share. I won't say the name, but I'm sure you can guess. :)]

Bill's story reminded me of another parking experience I had in Berkeley.

Anyone who has been to Berkeley knows that parking spots come at a big premium. One day, right as I was about to pull into a spot, this other driver decides that it's actually his spot. He races and screeches into the spot. I'm thinking, "That's just wrong. I can't let this pass." I wanted to come from a space of love, but I'm sure there anger mixed in there.

While my car's on the road, I get out of my car and head to the other car. It's like I'm about to pick a fight. I can't tell you how out of character that is for me -- I think I must've been reading a book on Gandhi at the time. :)

My mindset while getting out of the car is, "I can't just let him do that, because, today he did it to me and I may not mind giving up the spot -- but tomorrow he'll take from someone's else sister or brother who may be able to stand up for what is right." So I get out of my car, and I'm sure the driver is thinking is, "Okay, let's fight." :)

I peer into his window, and get my first look at the driver. He's a college kid. I just look at him with a blank face, as if to say, "Do you think that was appropriate?"

He knew. He didn't say anything. I mean, this was a situation where there was no grey area. Knowing that he didn't do the right thing, he couldn't even make eye contact and kept looking down. I think a part of him was readying to get out.

Then I break our silence, "Hey buddy, you keep this spot. But try to be mindful of others in the queue next time."

I felt like I was standing up for something, and yet there was also this sense of love and generosity. I didn't get out just to claim my spot. I was generous with the parking, and also with informing that it was probably not a nice thing to do.

In the opening, Rick compared anger to gasoline. It can motivate, but it's perhaps low grade motivation -- not quite Chevron with Techron. :) Certainly not jet fuel. When Gandhi is thrown off the train in South Africa, or Mandela spends 27 years in a small cell on Robben Island, perhaps there is some anger there, but by the time they churned through it, it had transformed it into a force more powerful. So, there's something to be said about learning how to observe anger as it is, but then there's also something to be said about tapping into a light at the end of that tunnel -- a much deeper, stronger form of fuel, which is probably love.