Magical Yogi Superpowers...total fail

Today I stopped by the fish counter at Kroger. It’s finally a night when everyone is going to be home at the same time. I forced my kids to cancel their evening’s activities and I’m doing the same. That means we get to celebrate our togetherness with a nice dinner.

The store was oddly empty. I stood at the fish counter for quite some time watching a man in a blue shirt spray the floor behind the counter with a hose. I decided he must be maintenance and reminded myself to be patient as I waited for the return of an actual fish guy.

Finally the man put down his hose, glared at men and asked me what I wanted. He reached behind him for a box of the plastic gloves that people who work with fish must wear. There was only one left. He threw the box angrily and rolled his eyes probably at some other fish guy who was so lazy as to leave a box with only one glove. He left to meander around checking for another box.

He came back having failed and put the one glove on.

I flash of anger sparked in me and I took a breath. In that breath, I looked at this man. I saw him. I saw his whole life. Forty years of age or so. No partner to love. Morbidly obese and physically limited. Hating his job working with dead fish. I wont' say I felt sorry for him. I know that everyone is learning their own lessons, but I did feel compassion for his suffering. I don't know that I could do it.

In that moment I decided to turn on my magical yogi superpowers and I sent him all the love from the universe that I know I exists in my heart. I expected his eyes to widen and for him to take a step back with this amazing jolt of cosmic love.

He just looked at me and then explained that 8 - 10 scallops come in a pound. He then gave me the “hurry up and make up your damn mind” look. I took another breath and turned off my superpowers. I decided to simply be human so I placed my order and chatted him up about the weather. I told him it looked like snow. He predicted a dusting. I remembered that people like to be heard and like to be smart so I asked him if he thought the weather seems off. He talked about the last few years, predicted a mild winter this year and then a nice snowstorm to finish off spring. The summer will be very hot which he hates.

As he talked and I listened, he visibly shifted. By the end of our little conversation he was smiling. He asked that I talk to mother nature about the weather this summer and I told him he seemed more in touch with her than me and would he do me that favor. He laughed.

As I walked away with my fish, I heard a whistling. I looked back. He had picked up the hose again and was spraying down the floor...whistling a happy tune.

I left my yogi powers off and smiled at the power of being human.