One of those days.

It happened early last week

 but the image has been seared into my brain;

and it's changed everything.

Let me back up ...

Contrary to the Attitude Adjustment Device,

I was NOT set between 'patient' and 'Light and breezy'.

I was permanently set on 'crabby', 

wondering why 'totally pissed'

wasn't even a category!

I had been in and out of offices all week,

in our building and those in other agencies,

bitching about all the things that weren't going well 

with this whole new job and clinic thing;

reminding folks

 - both in our Administration and those in state agencies - 

about the promises they'd made months ago 

which, by and large,

 they have yet to live up to.

Grumbling all over town 

about the likelihood that I'll never get

massive intractable systems 

to play nice with each other, 

even for the welfare of innocent children.

I left each office 

hearing their reasons for delay 

as self serving rationalizations;

seeing each occupant as obstacle.

While driving back to the office 

after yet one more frustrating 

non productive encounter, 

down a road I've driven to and from court for decades, 

I saw a sign that spoke 

directly to my heart.

I circled the block

to come back 

to take a picture.

A sign that seemed to ask 

What if -

just what if -

instead of perceiving everyone I'm dealing 

with in all those offices as obstacles

in this new, 

uncharted, 

being built from the ground up 

way of being a medical home for vulnerable children 

what if

I believed
and lived out
the knowledge

 that we are ALL part of the

Beloved Community;
each with our own gifts,
our own contributions to make,
our own role to play
in the making of this new venture;

what if I was intentional about remembering 

before entering any office

that it holds a member of Gods beloved community ...

what if?

~~~~~~~~~~

It didn't escape my notice 

that the Beloved Community is undergoing repairs;

it might have solid bones

but there's always work to be done!

We've not achieved a state of perfection -

and undoubtably won't in my lifetime.

At that moment,

and continuing on into this week,

I'm content with being one of the workers,

 up on the scaffolding,

trying to repair some of the damage.
(In my matching jacket, of course!)

~~~~~~~~~~

The metaphor is holding;

it's helping.

The attitude adjustment barometer 

might just be shifting back toward  'Patient' - 

believe me when I tell you

 that's a HUGE paradigm shift!