I have to make a small disclaimer here J…  I am not a nosy person.  I am absolutely against rumours.  And I like to think of myself as none judgemental person.  But in day to day life I come across some interesting situations that I would like to share with you.  Please feel free to express opinion or your own observation.  I would be happy to hear it! 

Happy observing!

Yours truly,

Sandra

On the way back to Vancouver from Egypt I had a little unusual situation.  I did something that normally would go against my beliefs about compassion. 

There was a woman in her sixties sitting across the walk way to my left.  She did not look comfortable in her seat at all…  My guess she was about 400 pounds.  The woman asked the flight attendant to get a seat belt extension because the existing one didn’t fit.   She got the seatbelt extension, looked happy and we were all set for the take off.

As soon as we were in the air, there was complimentary drinks served and my neighbour lady kept asking for juice and kept saying no to water.  I was thinking to myself, I wonder if she knows how much sugar is in that juice!  People think that fruit juice is a good thing for you, vitamins and so on.  But it comes with a load of sugar!  Juice in the can has hardly any nutrition left and it does more harm then good!

A few hours past and lady beside me decides to get up to go to the bathroom.  It took her a while to stand up and with 3 flight attendants helping her she made her way to the bathroom and then back to her seat!  I felt bad, thinking how she manages to live her every day life?  It must to be very challenging. 

A few minutes later, when the lady got her breath back, she realized, that trip to the bathroom got her all warmed up.  She decided to take her sweater off.  And she tried one way, then the other and went from one side to the other.  She was struggling and her breath was getting heavy (I could hear it as she was sitting close by).  And I felt bad!  I was just about to reach my hand and pull the sweater sleeve, then something happened…  Mean mean me stopped me!  All I did was cross my arms on my chest and turned to face the tiny plane window!  I realized that compassion is not always helping.  I wanted to hear that heavy breath, I wanted to know her heart is beating faster and faster and I was hoping that this lady, just by taking her sweater off would burn some of the calories she consumed with the amount of the juice she drank in those few hours.  She was working out!   

I was thinking, that she must have someone helping her day in and day out with the daily chores, getting dressed, going to the bathroom, taking shower, getting groceries, making food and so on, because there is no way she is able to do all that on her own.  And if that some one who is so loving and compassionate, would just let this poor woman to do some things on her own, eventually she wouldn’t need people helping her to take sweater off, to go to the bathroom etc…

I am still thinking about that situation and still have mixed feelings about not helping my fellow traveler.  I strongly believe in compassion, I strongly believe in giving help to people in need.  Do you think I was mean in that situation?

It was a beautiful January afternoon.  One of those sunny, crispy days when you put your gloves on, wrap your scarf around your neck and go to meet your girlfriend in the trendy Main street coffee shop.  The whole world was just bright; sun was playing upon the white capped mountains and coffee shops windows, in happy people eyes and on red noses tucked in colourful scarves.  I was walking on the street and was really enjoying the scene.  Moments like this I get such a surge of energy, such an appreciation for life, Mother Nature and the place I live.  Moments like this I just want to extend my hands to the sky and scream out loud at the top of my lungs “I want to live, I want to live for ever!!!”

I hear a snippet of conversation from two girls who pass me, “I was so disappointed, I thought when I get sick, I loose some weight, but I didn’t!”  I couldn’t believe my ears!  Did I really just hear that!?  What is wrong with this world!?  Is that what people are really doing?  Instead of putting effort in eating healthy, exercising, maintaining desired weight and not getting sick, they hoping to get sick and get their desired weight?  Please tell me that I am misunderstanding something… 

The words I hear on a radio commercial ring in my head “Why lose sleep over the shape of your body, when you can wake up and get your body into shape.”  Exactly!  How about that!  Why spend time stressing out about the way you look, the way you feel, instead of spending that time looking for a healthy dinner recipe?  Why use and abuse your body and get sick, miss work or even worse, crispy, sunny weekends and hot cups of tea on Main street, when you can just save that energy, turn it into something positive, get your butt to the fitness class and at any time enjoy a walk with those colourful scarves?  Stay healthy and keep yourself in shape, instead of getting sick and hoping to lose weight!  It is all in your own hands!