{"id":3321,"date":"2020-06-26T09:01:13","date_gmt":"2020-06-26T17:01:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wayofstory.com\/?p=3321"},"modified":"2020-06-26T10:06:19","modified_gmt":"2020-06-26T18:06:19","slug":"c-virus-a-time-for-gratitude-compassion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wayofstory.com\/?p=3321","title":{"rendered":"C-Virus: a time for gratitude & compassion"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

C-Virus: a time for gratitude & compassion<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Someone sent me a poem that seems to capture the essence of the warrior commitment. Called \u201cBirdfoot\u2019s Grampa,\u201d the poem is about a boy and his grandfather who are driving on a country road in a rainstorm. The grandfather keeps stopping the car and getting out to scoop up handfuls of toads that are all over the road and then deposit them safely at the roadside. After the 24th time he\u2019s done this, the boy loses patience and tells his grandfather, \u201cYou can\u2019t save them all \/ accept it, get back in \/ we\u2019ve got places to go.\u201d And the grandfather, knee deep in wet grass, his hands full of toads, just smiles at his grandson and says, \u201cthey have places to go to \/ too.\u201d – Pema Chodron<\/p>\n

There is something to be said about having to slow down and notice what’s around us. Small moments once taken for granted become important now as a quiet morning and a cup of tea. Walking with a friend – several feet apart – and instead of hugging, looking into their eyes and giving yourself a hug as to say, “Here’s a virtual hug”.<\/p>\n

Suddenly there’s time for yourself to do some things you always wanted to do. Get in touch with friends who are far away. Zoom and stay connected.<\/p>\n

For me, time to write. Completed a new edition of Heal Your Self with Writing <\/em>and a\u00a0 new book for all ages 4 and up, New Fables: Stories from Childhood \u00a0<\/em>that, if all goes swimmingly, should be available on Amazon by early July 2020 in print, Kindle, and Audible for Heal Your Self with Writing <\/em>is already up and True Fables<\/em> by mid-July 2020.<\/p>\n

Later in early August if not before, a new memoir, Buddha and the Dancing Girl <\/em> on Amazon in print, Kindle, and Audible.<\/p>\n

So expressing gratitude for the time ‘not teaching Way of Story workshops’ both here and abroad.<\/p>\n

This means apart from being a writing teacher, I can be a writer.<\/p>\n

Allowing compassion to get out my checkbook for those less fortunate and also donate to the upcoming Presidential campaign. Also more time with friends and neighbors.<\/p>\n

Also time to work as a writing consultant, offer psychic readings, swim, walk, and read good books.<\/p>\n

Years ago when my first long play, On the Edge, was being launched at the Aspen Playwrights Festival, I met James Salter the novelist who lived in Aspen. Though his fine novels remain, he has passed on. Yet thankfully, words live on. Here are some choice words of James Salter:<\/p>\n

I\u2019m too old to have a bad day.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve worried about a lot of things in my life but most of them never happened.<\/p>\n

If you can\u2019t see what you\u2019re looking for, see what is there.<\/p>\n

The only things that are important in life are those you remember<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 James Salter, Burning The Days<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

For online courses, writing consultations, interviews,\u00a0 gypsy card readings, www.wayofstory.com<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/h4>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

C-Virus: a time for gratitude & compassion Someone sent me a poem that seems to capture the essence of the warrior commitment. Called \u201cBirdfoot\u2019s Grampa,\u201d the poem is about a boy and his grandfather who are driving on a country road in a rainstorm. The grandfather keeps stopping the car and getting out to scoop […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3324,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,37],"tags":[82],"class_list":["post-3321","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-catherine-ann-jones","category-blog","tag-c-virus-a-time-for-gratitude-compassion"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wayofstory.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3321","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wayofstory.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wayofstory.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wayofstory.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wayofstory.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3321"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/wayofstory.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3321\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3331,"href":"https:\/\/wayofstory.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3321\/revisions\/3331"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wayofstory.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/3324"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wayofstory.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3321"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wayofstory.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3321"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wayofstory.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3321"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}