Morning Thoughts----Acceptance

View from my deck

I have had no electricity for twenty four hours. It finally came on at four a.m. This is a problem for people here, especially for the ones who live in the Lower La Floresta area. It is beautiful but old and the wiring is worn out and when we have a huge storm it goes off. For us, that also means that we have no running water. I think now our water pump is also broken because it did not go on this morning with the electricity.  It is the second time this week that our electricity has gone out. Last time it was out for twelve hours.  We had a huge rain storm last night. My only window leaked and that is right by all my electronics. I guess it was a good thing that the electricity was out at the time. I also had a leak in my bathroom ceiling. The rainy season. These outages are continuous. Some people have generators but not in our place. We just make do, like most of the Mexicans.

Last night when the electricity was off and I had no internet or way to watch movies, I was just sitting on my deck, watching the beautiful sunset and listening to the Mexican children playing across the street. I thought of when I was a little girl and how exciting it was to go out and play.  I loved running around the neighborhood, playing hide and seek, doing cartwheels, playing tag, riding my bike.

 Life always felt so exciting and new. Now I see the world through old eyes. I appreciate playing but only by listening to the laughter of other children. A little later on in the evening the adults came out and joined the children. I could hear them talking and laughing. I am sure they had no electricity either. I love the way so many Mexicans can continue enjoying their lives without electricity or water or many other modern conveniences that people who have money think are essential to a good life.

I know there is extreme poverty here. I have heard of Mexicans living with dirt floors and only three walls in their houses. Yet, from the outside, they seem happy.   Their lives aren't dependent on comfort or things. They have each other and that often seems to be enough.   I have much to learn from them.  About acceptance of things as they are, not as I would wish them to be. About seeing the beauty of the world. About living without fear of the future. About living in the here and now and enjoying it.

Wednesday Market in Ajijic

The policemen were watching over things.

He is making pizza

The dog is hoping something falls.

Happiness

For me, happiness is a sunny day. We have had so few of them lately. At least half the day has been cloudy or raining.  Chico and I took a walk. We went up to the hardware store so I could buy more plastic to use for covering my outside furniture. Then we went to the pharmacy. I needed my ice cream fix. While I was waiting in line to pay, I heard a man singing Love Me Tender. He was totally unselfconscious. When he got up to the counter to pay for his own things, a woman who was in line said to him. "You sound happy."

He said, "I am always happy. If you can't be happy here, you can't be happy anywhere."

I walked out of the pharmacy, thinking about what he had said. I remember reading a book on happiness a few years ago. It had some surprising things to report. Such as, after a short period of time, people who have won the lottery aren't any happier than people who have become paraplegic.

Another example was a quote from a man who was about to be executed, where he said he was happy about his life and how it turned out. A wealthy man who had committed suicide wrote about how unhappy he was with his life....

In other words, happiness is mostly an inside job, irregardless of one's life circumstances. I know that is true, in my head. In my heart, I feel differently. Rainy, gloomy days make me feel unhappy. Sunny days, like today, make me feel like singing Love me Tender. 

Breakfast at Salvador's Yesterday Morning

Flooding in the streets

Salvador's Restaurant

Olive is watching the sun go down

The clouds yesterday evening from my second deck

Last night we had very little rain but the night before last was a a monster storm. It blew out our electricity early in the evening. In the morning yesterday I had to walk up to Salvador's for my coffee and breakfast.  As you can see from the last photo, there were lots of clouds last night. But it is calm this morning. I just looked at the weather report. It is for clouds and possible storms. Same for the rest of this rainy season. I put up more tarps around my deck. Hope this helps. At least the lake is rising.

More Evening Clouds as Seen from my Deck

Okay, so I can't go out on my deck in the mornings if it is raining, just in case I get shocked. Now I have had so many rainy days that I am making morning coffee inside my one room. And there are flies out there. I have to keep my work spaces covered to keep them away. And I can't keep any food out because creatures will come and take it during the night. But it is worth all that discomfort just to have this spectacular view in the evenings...... Lucky me!