What's In A Name and Embarking on A Journey

Well, as break nears an end and only a little over a week I find myself once again in a state of uncertainty. Work has been going quite well and I've been fortunate to have a few experiences which may have at one point been a cause of anger and frustration in the past, but in light of what I've learned, has now become a chance to further my spiritual learning. One of the problems with working in fast food, or customer service in any regard, is dealing with people who sometimes are such in a rush and selfish that they have little regard for how they treat other people. And it concerns me when these people think that somehow they are better than the person working and that in fact, those who are working are servants to them. Now, we all make mistakes, and sometimes there is so much going on that we miss something or forget. We're all human, we're all subject to the same initial imperfection.

So, whereas in the past when a customer starts lecturing me about making a mistake with an order I'd get angry (at least internally, since my job depends on me biting my tongue. Sometimes I wonder how the capitialistic philosophy of the customer became so prevalent), I found that this time I was at quite a bit of peace. Of course, it was a mistake on our part, and while did resent the blame being placed on me entirely considering that there was a transition of who was arranging the order, and therefore, subject to some ambiguity as to whether or not everything was placed in the order, I didn't take it to heart. But I realized, on several notes, that we must learn to forgive those who are not aware of spiritual truths, and that we should not condemn others if they react with anger, and that by taking insult and taking their comlaints personally is only a tool of the ego. One of the interesting things I noticed as that we wear nametags at work, but since I've only begun working there I have no nametag, and I rather like that. Being nameless, and refusing the ego its desire to be recognized and known. Of course, I doubt that once the time comes to adorn the nametag that such an argument will be sufficient to continue not wearing one, for the time being I enjoy refusing the ego its demands.

On that note, I'm strongly considering taking a semester off of school. Although I'm sure I'll face a lot of criticism for it being that its my last semester of school, I feel that the time has come to do what I've been dreaming to do for the past few years. I'm hoping that if all goes well I'll be hiking the entire length of the Appalachian Trail come this February / March. It would be five months away from everything, home, school, work, in the one element where I have always felt at home and been able to appreciate. A 2100 mile journey that I hope will be a catalyst to further my spiritual journey. As others have told me in the past and I've said myself, its not necessary to go on some journey to find inner peace or to realize spiritual truths. And true, the doorway into self-realization is present within us at all times regardless of where we are, I feel that this is something I must undergo. To prove to myself, and to get away from it all and take some time to think.

As I was working the other day, I picked up a toy for a kids meal and it struck me, I mean really struck me, the materialistic nature of our society. The fast paced, Puritanistic, getting-everything done in a hurry nature of our society. Its always about time, its always about getting it done here and now, and never taking time to relax, to sit back, or even going at a slower pace. That's another problem I've found at fast food is the issue of having to get out orders in a hurry, and if we take longer then a few minutes then there's a problem. It concerns me that we as a society are always on such a fast-paced track. And this journey I would undertake, I hope, would allow me a temporary escape from this burden of having to live up to the standards of a society who demands everything right this minute, right this instant.

I like to take my time with some things. Sometimes its because I want to put it off, but other times its because I want to make sure I do a good job. I don't mind spending 8 hours sweeping and mopping a floor or doing dishes once I get into the mindset of doing it. I want to know I'm doing a good job, getting it right. I want to take 5 minutes to make a sandwich so its a work of art. Of course its all material, all matter so in the end it doesn't really matter. But there is nothing wrong, in my opinion, with bringing the perfection of the spirit into the imperfect matter, of doing our best of brining our inner perfection outwards physically to make maya a little bit less of a burden. So what if I take an extra week to do an assignment if it means it will be that much better? It strikes me as odd that people perceive me as lazy because I tend to procrastinate or not do things on their time.

I see a chance to bring, as I said, the perfection of the spirit into the world of maya all the time. One must get into the mindset of doing such, merging with the task at hand so that it prevails through the mind, ridding of all other conflicting thoughts. Although a job will never be perfect, we can strive to make the work we do shine with spiritual excellence. As taught in Zen Buddhism and I'm sure other schools of eastern thought even the most menial of tasks has something to offer in terms of spiritual learning. And thus one should never disregard a task as too low for them to do, nor should any task be rushed for the sake of getting it done.

Thus, while I've found that I've almost at times enjoyed the work I've been doing the past couple of weeks, the fast paced nature sometimes does get to me that I don't have more time to devote to the task. And, this fast paced nature is something I've found everywhere. So, yes, maybe taking a semester away to hike the Appalachian Trail is an attempt to escape from the social reality, or my own way of being impatient and fast paced, or whatever the reason may be. But the way I perceive it is theres no better time than the present, and times are changing and I feel that this presents the perfect opportunity to undergo a physical and spiritual metamorphosis.