Garden

There is an old proverb that says,” It is better to be a warrior in the middle of a garden, than a gardener in the middle of a war.” Words to live by indeed. I work hard to up my skill set everyday. Everyday I do something to prepare myself for the dark days. We all have them. And we know they’re coming.

Don’t get me wrong. That is not to say that I am a pessimist. In fact, it is quite the opposite. I am a flower smelling, sunset watching, animal petting, look at the moon kind of person. I’ve just spent my entire life working in mental health {20 years of it working in crisis or first response}, that I go out of my way to look for beauty. I’ll let you in on a little secret. It’s a game changer.

The warrior in the garden is a beautiful mindset. For all true warriors know, that war is a last resort. I like to use the analogy of the martial arts. When I was growing up, I was all of 120lbs and standing 5'7. I got into the martial arts to learn how to fight, so I wouldn’t have to fight. Which led me to meditation. That is when I really learned that all fights are lost or won in the mind, long before any action is ever taken.

Yes I am 58 and standing 5'7. I am in the gym at 4:00 every morning 7 days a week. Trust me, I can still run with those half my age. That said, I don’t feel the need to.

As for fighting, short of someone going hands on one of my crisis team members or my wife, all you see is this warrior in the garden. As for your perception…go ahead and underestimate me. That works to my advantage. Because every fight is lose, lose. It’s just that one will lose big, while the other will lose small. As for me? I don’t give a fuck. I’m going for a walk. With the final destination being some metaphysical garden.