Mellow sundays are fun days

Sundays at the tea store are always wonderful. Normally, I get into work at about 8:30 to get myself into the flow of work. I'll get into work, have some silent time, drink a pot of tea and then start my regiment of cleaning the store. On Sundays work starts at 11 oclock. This means that I can get in about 9:30 and be able to do the things that make me sane before the day starts. I was able to do this, which always gives me an edge. It gives me something, some sort of essence which allows me to communicate on a very natural and instinctive level.

I started tasting tea with a very interesting young man, probably twenty-five years old, 5'7, light hazelnut hair, olive colored cargo pants and a black button up shirt. He had a pair of sweet aviators hanging from the second button from the top of his shirt. There was something about him that screamed, "I'm a writer, or a poet" kind of deal. He was very quiet and shy. There was a lot going on upstairs, I could tell. That introspective and pensive aspect is something I can relate to on a very personal level. He was just taking it all in, the whole atmosphere, the beautiful environment. Yesterday he came in as well because I definitely remembered him. E and M were taking care of him.

He asked me if he could taste black currant and get a quarter pound of earl grey viennese. Black currant is a black tea flavored with the essential oil of black currant and Earl Grey Viennese has a base of Keemun, Formosa, Ceylon, Assam and an addition of Darjeeling. Earl Grey naturally has a bergamot quality which is quite citrusy and Darjeeling has an astringent and puckery quality which goes well with the citrus quality of the bergamot.

He looked like a writer. I had to ask him.
"You look like a writer, are you?" I asked.
"I've been journaling since 1994 without missing a day" he replied with a coy grin on his face.

He told me how important journaling is in his life. I agreed. In fact, I brought out my journal which was handmade by one of my friends' friend. It's so beautiful, and he recognized how special it was. This common thread of interest helped connect us as people. Whether it be through our commonalities or our differences, I think it's important to find ground for authenticity with another person.

Once you're able to connect with someone as a real, genuine, decent human being, they're able to lose a lot of the pretense that would otherwise naturally occur. This is what it is, I accept that we're all a regurgitation of what our society, upbringing, culture, friends, archetypal molds and preconceived judgments that are completely unfounded. There's a difference between discernment and "judgment". "Judgment" in the sense that we're allowing some stereotype or some past reference to determine and equate our present moment. It's not a question of that being right or wrong, but there's a more direct way of experiencing our reality. Perhaps this just means being open to what comes to us... accepting our reality, acknowledging what is in our minds and hearts, then letting it go just like the millions of thoughts that seem to attach to our sense of reality.

We almost became brothers, just because we shared a cup of tea, talked about journaling, and just we're able to treat ourselves like decent human beings.

Aged mapled counters, smooth as silk and Buddhist environment which is so conducive towards being natural can help someone be themselves. There are more experiences to come and to be written about...