The front elevator of our seniors' apartment building was recently out of order for several days causing major inconvenience, especially to tenants with disabilities. The necessity to order a part caused additional delay. Understandably a lot of grumbling was heard in the nooks and crannies of the common areas of the building where neighbors gathered to air their grievances.
I was in the lobby when the two repairmen announced their work was done - the elevator was operating again. Our assistant building manager was standing nearby, and she and I burst into applause and shouted "Woohoo!"
We were relieved the problem had been resolved and enjoyed a celebratory moment. Not so for several neighbors who chimed in with comments such as:
"Should've been done a lot sooner."
"They should keep elevator parts on hand."
"They should get another elevator service company."
"It's never been down this long before - our new manager should be fired."
Thus the past overshadowed a possibly happy present moment.
The present moment was sabotaged again this Friday when I went grocery shopping. All the while he was bagging my groceries, the store employee grumbled that the warmer temps yesterday would not last - we'd be back in the deep freeze within a few days. I tried to interrupt his monologue with "Hey, how about enjoying today?"
No dice. He kept up his pessimistic commentary on our local weather.
I'm thinking this morning that mindfulness gurus have a point in urging practitioners to discipline themselves to stay with the present moment instead of grumbling about the past or wallowing in pessimism about the future, even if it's just about Minnesota weather in January.
I was in the lobby when the two repairmen announced their work was done - the elevator was operating again. Our assistant building manager was standing nearby, and she and I burst into applause and shouted "Woohoo!"
We were relieved the problem had been resolved and enjoyed a celebratory moment. Not so for several neighbors who chimed in with comments such as:
"Should've been done a lot sooner."
"They should keep elevator parts on hand."
"They should get another elevator service company."
"It's never been down this long before - our new manager should be fired."
Thus the past overshadowed a possibly happy present moment.
The present moment was sabotaged again this Friday when I went grocery shopping. All the while he was bagging my groceries, the store employee grumbled that the warmer temps yesterday would not last - we'd be back in the deep freeze within a few days. I tried to interrupt his monologue with "Hey, how about enjoying today?"
No dice. He kept up his pessimistic commentary on our local weather.
I'm thinking this morning that mindfulness gurus have a point in urging practitioners to discipline themselves to stay with the present moment instead of grumbling about the past or wallowing in pessimism about the future, even if it's just about Minnesota weather in January.
