Mind-Less Monday, High-Volume Love Songs, and Baby Bananas

Just Listen

A Memory of a

High Volume Love Song

On Mind-Less Monday 

On this Mind-Less Monday, I am grateful for my choice to mind less one day last week. The white car pulled into the gas station pumping lane next to me. Music blasted from the car door the young black driver left open when he went inside the convenience store.

“Ugh,” I thought. “Now I have to listen to his loud music while my son pumps the gas.” I started to close the car windows, but noted that the song was no angry rap with bass booming. Instead, I was caught by the love song’s lilting, lovely melody. I left the windows down and gently swayed to the rhythm, minding the volume less and less.

I caught a glimpse of another customer heading to the convenience store, an angry look on his face as he looked toward the music. When the young black man walked toward his car, our eyes met and I smiled at him. He beamed. I continued to listen, and when the song ended, I got out of the car and walked toward him. My son looked at me and said, “Don’t!” I shook my head at him, ignored him, and walked toward the driver of the white car. He looked at me, puzzled. I leaned toward his ear (because another song had started) and said, “Thank you for this beautiful song. It reminds me of someone special.” His smile radiated. I went back to my car, got in, and continued smiling.

When he finished pumping the gas, my son got in the car and looked at me. “Huh?” he asked. “I’ll tell you later,” I said. When I did, my son smiled, too.

Feed me!

Back to the present Monday and what I will mind less. I will mind less that I didn’t edit over the weekend and must put in mega hours this week. Instead, I spent time in my garden and with my family. I traded hours of editing for the joy of feeding my baby granddaughter bananas.

I will mind less that the nonstop rains have brought some fungus, bugs, and uncontrolled growth to my yard. I can’t keep up with the ever-present, ever-growing weeds, but I am grateful that the bamboo loves the moisture and thrives in the heat and rain.

I will continue to mind less those weeds and uncontrolled growth when I delight in the explosion of flowers the rain and sun bring every day—not just Mondays.

I will mind less that I missed the first moonflower bloom last night. Instead, I’m grateful that I went to bed early, slept well, and woke rested and energetic. It helps that the vine has several more buds, so I will dance my senses in the scent of a moonflower another day this week.