Heal The Mr. Magoo In You

The following is an article by my friend Marsha Hankins from Sibyl Magazine.

Those of us of a certain age remember the delightful myopic cartoon character, Mr. Magoo.  Mr. Magoo bumbled through life with his eyes closed to the world around him.  Stuck in his myopathy, he could only see a few feet ahead of himself and was constantly avoiding mishaps by the narrowest of margins.  However, once in a while, something huge would happen and force his eyes wide opened.  Only when he fully opened his eyes to the world around him did he see the situation he had created.

As I have traveled the country for the past two years, I have been amazed at how myopic our society has become.  People are so focused on their own little worlds and what they want that they have little awareness of what is happening even ten feet away or the effect of their actions on the people around them.  Just as Mr. Magoo caused other characters to run off roads or into walls, drop their loads or trip trying to avoid the hapless and irresponsible Magoo, many people have little to no concern for how they disrupt the lives of others in pursuit of their own desires.

I have had some interesting experiences from which to detach: campground generators running until 1:00 a.m., adults on dirt bikes turning wheelies in the midst of a crowd, empty cars parked in front of gas pumps for 15-20 minutes while other cars wait in line.  I wish I could say that I never have a flare of frustration, but I cannot.  I can say that I no longer feel angry, that I am able to maintain the neutral observer’s position in most cases, and that I can simply be fascinated by the actions of others.  If I start to get irritated, I gather my center, remember who I am, and just let it go with love.

I do not believe that most people are intentionally rude or inconsiderate.  I do believe that many people have stopped thinking about their connection to others and about being good neighbors.  They have become myopic without realizing what has happened.  Spiritual mastery means standing in our power and speaking our truth.  However, spiritual power and truth come from the heart, not from the ego’s irritation.  While I might be guided to speak up from time to time, most often I am guided to simply walk away in fascination.

For me, the Golden Rule is still golden.  I try my best to live it, but I know I will sometimes do something that others might feel is inconsiderate, even if I am totally unaware of it.  As long as I remain aware of my connection to others and try to be a good neighbor, I will completely heal the Mr. Magoo in me.  How is your Mr. Magoo doing today?

Image from dvdtalk.com – Enlargement by Flash Alexander