My friend Dave, whom I’ve kept in touch with ever since high school, is getting married! I’m so excited for him and his fiance, Elizabeth. Dave is a great guy. The reason I’m sharing this on my blog is because Dave is also a most creative guy. He found a very interesting, and very original, way to propose! Check our his website and you’ll see what I mean: http://www.daveloveselizabeth.com

It happens at least once a week, the ritual trek to the local grocery store.  We need food, we need supplies, we are creatures whose needs must be met, and this is how we do it.  It’s more convenient than growing our own vegetables, or baking our own bread.  And although we may not get the same satisfaction that our ancestors did by working the land, we are in a sense doing our own harvesting by what we choose, and how we shop, at the supermarket.

Here are some ways that we can get the most out of the experience, and turn what could possibly be mundane into something rather special and spiritual.  This is how we can “bloom where we are planted” even if that happens to be in the middle of suburbia.

Bring your own bags.  This seems like such a simple thing to do, and yet when you look around at the other shoppers, how many people actually do it?  In Europe there is not the option of “paper or plastic.”  You bring your own bag or you carry your purchases out in your arms.  We did an informal survey recently in front of our neighborhood market, and found that although most people thought this was a good idea, they hadn’t gotten themselves in the habit.  Make this conscious choice.  Carry your bags in your car so they are there for you when you need them.  It’s one little contribution towards making the world a better place.

After you park, if you see a stray cart in the lot, take it with you into the store.  Many carts are left loose in the parking lot only to bump into cars, or block the way as someone is trying to open their car door.  Returning a cart is being a good citizen, and also setting a good example.

Many stores have now been kind enough to provide anti-bacterial wipes at their entries so that we can wipe down the handle of the cart.  Use them to protect yourself and others from germs that are easily passed around in public places.  And when you’re done with the wipe, dispose of it carefully in the container provided.

When shopping for produce, choose fruits and vegetables that are locally grown.  Shipping from far-away places puts a burden on the planet by requiring extra fuel to get items where they need to be.  Also, be aware of packaging.  Again, re-use bags from home, or don’t bother to use bags at all when selecting your produce.  Select one thing that you might not have tried before – open yourself up to new culinary possibilities!

Consider your time in the market as an opportunity to practice present-moment awareness.  Be fully present when choosing your items.  Smile at the people sharing this experience with you.  This is a community, and you are an important part of it.  Be grateful for the store employees who work so hard to keep the place neat and orderly so that you can find what you are looking for.  Marvel at the abundance of choices that we have before us.

Think about the many ways that you can be a conscientious consumer.  Rather than buying paper napkins, use cloth napkins at the table for dinner.  Rather than using paper towels to clean, use dish-cloths, and rags.  Rather than using cleaning products with chemicals, investigate the many natural alternatives, such as vinegar, that can be used just as efficiently with less impact on the planet. Take lunch boxes, or cloth lunch bags, to work or school instead of using paper lunch bags.  These are all the little things that end up making a big difference.  Consciously participate in green living.

Read labels to know what you are putting into your body.  There are so many options now, so check the shelves for products that are lower in sugar, sodium, and fat.  Opt for healthier alternatives, like whole grains, and higher fiber cereals. 

More and more people are deciding on a vegetarian, or even vegan, lifestyle.  Even if you don’t want to commit all the way, try going meat-free at least one day a week.

If you have a full cart of groceries and someone behind you in line has just one or two items, practice kindness by offering to let them go ahead of you.  If someone ahead of you is having trouble getting credit approval, or is taking a long time to write out a check, this is an opportunity to practice patience and compassion.

When checking out, have your discount cards or coupons ready so as not to keep the people behind you in line waiting longer than necessary.  Make sure to present your bags to the bag-person before he or she starts to pack.  If there is no one helping the cashier to bag the groceries, pitch in and help yourself.  Always show gratitude for the help you were given by expressing thanks.

And, of course, after you take the bags out of your cart and put them into your car, return the cart to the store rather than leaving it loose in the parking lot.

Everything in life, every moment we live, can be a meditation, a learning experience. With this state of mind, we can turn something like grocery shopping, which we might have thought of as a chore, into an adventure.

Seven days the jury deliberated. And now we have a verdict. Not guilty, times 10. So, what do we make of this? I don’t know what to think. I have followed the Michael Jackson case closely, and I wonder if the jurors heard something that I missed. If this were any “regular” person being accused of these crimes, would the jury come to the same conclusion? Certainly celebrities are viewed, and treated, differently in this society. What is it that about fame that gives these people their teflon coating? There are bound to be comparisons to the OJ Simpson trial, and Robert Blake, and now Michael Jackson. Are these men criminals, who used their money and popularity to seduce the public into believing in their innocence? Have they been able to successfully manipulate the justice system in their favor? Or have they gotten the fair trial and just verdict that they deserve? There are no easy answers. I watched as the verdicts were read this afternoon, and fans cheered, threw confetti, and let doves fly free in celebration. Who are these devotees who have given up their lives to “be there” in support of their beloved Michael? Some have traveled from around the world. They create quite a stir, as if their enthusiasm alone is enough to pull Michael through. The adulation, the tears, it’s all very dramatic – and maybe it’s just all a part of the show. Word has it that some of these groupies are actually paid to show up everyday. Money, after all, can buy just about anything. What irks me about this particular case is that Michael Jackson has set him self apart from the rest of society. He has made his own rules, and by letting him off the hook on all counts, society has basically said that it’s okay. There may not be a law about adults sleeping in a bed with children of a certain age, particularly children who are not their own, but there is a standard that society has set that says “this is not okay.” There are boundaries. There is responsible behavior. There is respectful behavior. And sleeping in a bed with someone else’s child is crossing that boundary. It is not responsible, or respectful, behavior. And yet somehow it’s okay for Michael Jackson to do just that. Michael clearly believes that he is innocent. And he believes that there is nothing wrong with his behavior towards children. But just because he believes that doesn’t make it right. Even when, back in 1993, he paid $20 million to a family in a civil case, that wasn’t enough make him understand that there is simply something wrong with his behavior. You’d think that would have taught the guy a lesson! But, no. Not only did he continue doing whatever the heck he wanted to do, he flaunted it on national television, for all the world to see. Michael Jackson is not a smart man, but in this case he outsmarted the jury. I don’t believe that he is innocent, or naive. I think that he considers himself separate from the rest of us, and that he plays the part he created so perfectly that he believes it himself. Michael Jackson is a musical genius. It is likely that he was abused as a child, and his childhood certainly was exploited. Yet that is no excuse for his behavior. He has been caught in lies many times – from denying his plastic surgeries to inflating the size of his bank accounts. And if he took a lie detector test I’d bet he would pass, because he totally believes what he says. The man wouldn’t survive a day in jail. Not because he’s too fragile, or because the inmates would make meatloaf out of him, but because he couldn’t handle the reality of the situation. He couldn’t reconcile his interpretation of reality with what smacks him in the face. It would drive him over the edge. What’s sad is that all of these people are paid to protect him, to worship him, to cater to his every whim. And yet no one is getting him the help he so desperately needs. It’s “the Emperor’s clothes” story. Maybe it will take a little child to speak up, and make Michael Jackson realize that what he is doing is just plain wrong. Or maybe not. Maybe this was our chance and it’s gone.