Humanity Evolving

Alternating weather patterns slide across my backyard sky. Aggressive storms pass through unleashing torrents of rain that wash away the accumulated dirt and grime of our past, present and future life then as suddenly as they arrive, they are pushed along by the winds of change ushering in the brilliant warmth of renewed hope. In the midst of a charcoal grey morning landscape, I was called on by my friend to assist him with proposing to his girlfriend. His plan was to have me hold a poster board sign with the stencil, “Will you Marry me?” while standing in the middle of the Starbuck drive thru exit. We had gone through multiple proposal scenarios, but none of them seemed plausible in the midst of this ongoing pandemic. From the beginning, I had decided to provide him with unconditional support no matter what I thought of the idea. I picked up the poster board from his house and drove to the parking lot of Starbucks to await their arrival. Admittedly, I was slightly apprehensive because I was the one who had to stand in public holding the sign but I’m all for creating memories and this was definitely going to be one to remember. Approximately 15 minutes passed before I finally observed his car idling in the Starbucks drive thru line. He texted me just to confirm I was ready and from my vantage point, I could tell he was nervous. Shortly thereafter, I saw the nose of his car at the drive thru window. I exited my vehicle, ran across the parking lot, and stood in the middle of the lane holding the sign. Starbucks employees must have seen me crossing the parking lot because they came streaming out of the front door pointing their cell phones in my direction to catch the moment. The scene was surreal. I was standing in the middle of the drive thru lane holding a “Will you Marry me” sign, Starbucks employees wearing full masks and gloves were videoing the moment while trying to keep their distance, and my friend was proposing to his girlfriend in his car. Through the front windshield, I watched his girlfriend begin crying as she realized what was happening and he handed her the engagement ring which she slipped on her ring finger. For a moment, the Starbucks employees thought I was the one proposing and I had to redirect their attention to the interior of the vehicle. 

I didn’t want to go home yet so I decided a quick visit to Target was in order. When I entered the store, I noticed a large pallet with several packages of toilet paper lying in plain view near the entranceway. I looked around skeptical as though I was looking at a mythical creature. My wife and I had been looking for toilet paper for the past several weeks and were becoming increasingly alarmed that we might have to make serious adjustments in how we approached our bathroom routines. Literally, all the stores were out of the valuable commodity and we had been discussing the fact we were about one week away from running out. Our only option was to continue searching for the “golden goose” or buy a water spray attachment for our toilet to supplement the lack of available toilet paper. I quickly snatched two packages for a total of eight rolls while deciding if I should hoard more. Based on prior experiences with stores limiting purchases of these types of items, I decided to move on and hope for the best at the checkout line. There was not much more I actually needed so I proceeded to the register. Of course, I had been right and they were limiting toilet paper purchases to only one package. Instead of accepting the policy, I engaged in small talk with the cashier regarding my circumstances at home and he allowed me to buy the second package. Honestly, I felt like a hunter-gatherer who had successfully brought home an essential item for their family’s survival. Weird but true. This feeling was reaffirmed when I arrived home because my wife heaped massive amounts of praise on me for finding toilet paper. 

Like all storms, they eventually pass. A common theme that I have been incorporating into my personal philosophy is the phrase, “This Too Shall Pass”. This belief system has helped to consolidate fear and anxiety, separate them from reality, and let them pass through me like water must pass through a filter so that the toxic elements are removed. Later that day, pure water washed through me when I received a phone call from a principal offering me an interview for a full-time teaching position next year. Shortly thereafter, I received an email from an online teaching school extending a request for an interview related to a full-time English teaching position. 

Whatever happens, I am learning a different form of resilience that I never knew existed. It is born in the midst of darkness, formed in the rays of light, and hardened through the uncertainty of a life worth living. I am beginning to realize that lying dormant in the soil of my soul there is a seed of thankfulness ready to sprout into a new form. Humanity is evolving and nature is at the forefront leading the way.