Why and I

I had just come out of coffee shop with some Tea. The part of town I live and work in has never heard of such a thing as a Tea house; it could just be me, being picky and particular. I headed to my normal spot on the bench in the manicured, man made, open area park on the roof of the building I work at.

Today was different.

Today when the escalator brought me to the top floor (like it always does); I opened the door to the manicured, man made, open park area and inhaled the relatively fresh city air (like I always do) which is always better than the recycled air that circulates in my building.

Today was very different.

There was an old man flying a kite, or rather had already gotten the kite in the air and was now watching it glide, watching it’s tail whip and snap in the wind current. This old man was sitting down right in my spot. I made the decision to not care and to be happy anyway. I only get a half hour for my break and the majority of it I spend getting to the coffee shop and back. It only leaves me a few moments to drink my tea in peace, drink my tea and relax. It only leaves me a few happy moments during my busy day.

The old man said to me,

“Asking the question Why is part of being happy. Most people don’t live long enough to realize that to get to happiness you have to start with self, with I. They make it quite simple enough you know. They put it in the words; Happy ends with a Why, but to get Happiness you have to stop asking Why and realize I. Then you finally can get to the Ness the state of being. Realize I but first ask Why and it will lead you to that state of being. It’s different for everyone though. I think that confuses a lot of people too. They like to think that it’s the same for everyone and its not, but that’s part of realizing self, realizing I.”

The alarm on my cell phone went off letting me know that my break was over. I did not even get to drink any of my tea, but it was cold now so I gave it to the old man. The next day he did not come back, or even the day after that. In fact I never saw the old man after that, but I always ask myself and wonder what ever happen to him.

I don’t work in the building anymore but I still come back every now and then. Today I thought,

“What the hell”

and I brought a kite. I’ve never flown one before so why not today. I got it up really high I think for my first time. I sat down in my spot and tied the string to the bench.

This guy opened the door and looked at me as if I had said something foul to him but I did not care, my kite was high and had a steady wind. The guy looked so mad with his head phones on. I was not going to say anything to him but then I remembered the old man’s words and I though I would share them with him. They might have the same effect on him as they did on me. After I finished he grabbed his pocket and practically ran back out the door leading back into the building. He even left his drink.

I never went back to the building after that until they told me that they were going to get rid of the manicured, man made, open area park on the roof and put up cell phone towers. I made a promise that I would go back one more time before they tore it all up. The funny thing is I went back once a month with my kite, when it was not raining, and they never did, but the same guy whom always looked pissed did. He never spoke but I did. I told him the old mans words once more and what I personally learned as I applied them.

One day with my kite in hand I got off at my stop and saw that the whole building was gone. I’m going to miss that building and the manicured, man made, open area park. I’ll even miss the angry guy, but truth be told now that the building is gone it all really felt like de ja vu at times. Then again one of the things the old man said to me is that nothing at all is new under the sun, not even life its self so maybe I’ve done it all before and just don’t remember. Whatever the case may be I hope that angry man gets happy one day.

©Christopher F. Brown 2009