The Power of Positive Thinking.

Alright everyone, major reality check here.

I woke up today and everything was great. Grand, really. The cleaning lady was coming to fix up our apartment all nice and squeaky, and I was off to another first class, Art.

Art is on Wednesdays every week from 10-2 and we do gallery visits normally, but today we just went over the course goals and syllabus, so we were done by 1130, and home by noon.

I got a little frustrated because the cleaning lady was here and I wanted to make lunch, or go to my room and change to run, etc. I was also frustrated because a group of my friends was going out, but they were just going to get books and wander, and I didn't really want to go... and another group was going to the British Museum, and I'm going to that like every week, so I didn't want to go.... And, before I realized it, I was at home while everyone was out exploring, and I felt guilty because it was so cold out and I wasn't motivated to leave. I was being negative about it and feeling like a bum and just being a doofus.

But, I changed my attitude, and went on a run to buy a cell phone and get supplies to make a nice dinner for the core four. The run was beautiful, my endorphins woke up, and I got a phone (finally) which was a scratch mark on the list of "To do's." I stopped at the little Tesco Express on my corner and got some fresh veggies, fresh bread, and fresh cookies for dinner, and on my way out I noticed the homeless woman who sits right outside the door every day, selling a magazine called The Big Issue. London has this great program for the homeless, where you can apply for a homeless "license" essentially, and you sell this magazine to people. It's great really, because when you donate to buy this magazine, you KNOW you are helping the homeless, not feeding a fake beggar who goes home and sits on his arse watching his plasma screen TV while his cat drinks a beer beside him. NOT COOL PEOPLE. Anyway, The Big Issue provides employment to the homeless, too. I think it is a great thing.

So, I see our local homeless woman. She is there every day. She is either Indian or Arab, I couldn't figure out because I'm not an expert. But she covers her hair, and she is not too much older than me. I walked up to her with my grocery bags and change, and asked her "How much do they cost?" She replied timidly, but happily " One pound fifty." So I knelt down beside her, and as I rifled through my change I asked her how she was doing. She smiled and said, "I am very cold today." (It was snowing outside, and she was wearing a thin jacket and a skirt.) I smiled back at her and said "Yes, it is quite cold today." I gave her two pounds, telling her to keep the change, and I reached for my magazine. As I took it she looked me straight in the eye and said "Thank you. You are very beautiful."

You know, God does tell you things, you just have to listen. Here I was doting over myself all day, feeling bad about myself sitting around the house, blah, blah, blah and here was this young woman who probably came to England with bright hope for the future to provide for her struggling family back home, or came because she was desperate, with no other options, and now she was on the street, homeless, watching as hundreds of people walked by her and never even noticed her sitting on the ground. She had the compassion in her to tell ME that I was beautiful. I thought I was helping her, but really she was helping me to remember how fortunate I am and to remember that compassion and love are the most important things in life.

I am truly blessed to be here in London learning such amazing things about myself and about God's good Earth.

Peace, Love, and the Beatles, y'all.