Walking in the medina the other day, I found myself behind a delivery truck.  It was a small one, one that could be misconstrued as, well, not a delivery truck.  However, this delivery truck was on its way to deliver something to some shop somewhere.  Just as this was happening, on the driver’s side of the road (road being a loosely applied term here), some workers were doing the usual bit of tearing up perfectly good brick in the name of improving something about it.  And, as tends to happen in these circumstances, it was proving to be a bit of an inconvenience. 

Now the medina, any medina I’ve run into that is, is a narrow space.  It isn’t exactly conducive to many situations, like this one (rain is another), that disrupt the natural order of going places and doing things.  So, as a result, with this delivery truck stuck without enough room to pass by the construction workers, it caused a bit of a traffic jam.  Within a few seconds of the truck stopping, three scooters, a bicycle, five or so pedestrians, and a stroller had queued up (lined up for those who have no idea what a queue is) behind the truck.  There was no room to go around on either side, so we waited.

It took a minute or so for this situation to unravel itself, as the construction workers drew their orange fencing closer so that the truck would have space to pass.  Apparently, this minute or two was one or two too many for one of the men on the scooters, who thought that the whole situation was somehow the fault of those tourists that he could see standing by the orange fence and wanting to come towards us once the truck made its way through.  There were a few choice words exchanged, and, needless to say, this section of the medina became a little tense a little quickly.

After Mr. Uptightpants calmed down and the truck moved on, life went back to normal.  Everyone drove off or walked off or stood there considering life, but the situation diffused itself.  Or at least that immediate version did.  I have no knowledge of how it may have affected people later on in their day, or whatever else besides.  It could have made lunchtime a real sourpuss situation for those around, or it could be used as an introspective opportunity.

Perhaps the most interesting thing about this experience is not the way in which it resolved itself, or even the way that people reacted, even though those are both interesting.  Instead, it is the transformation of energy that strikes me the most.  There was a bubbling energy in this situation, where the clash between the manifestations of the truck driver’s goals and the construction workers’ goals caused friction.  This friction quickly escalated in how it affected those around, one person in particular.  And, for some reason, perhaps a combination of the previous day’s or week’s or month’s, or even life’s, experiences, or his own attitudes, or culture, or whatever, it caused him to react in a negative fashion.

So where’s the beauty or the interest?  Quite simply, it is in the idea that the energy does not have to be transformed in that way.  That depending on how much we allow our mindsets to permeate into our lives in a constant and permanent way, we can react to these moments that may stress or challenge us in more productive and positive way, depending on how important and what our mindset is.  It is all up to us.

What a bold concept.  Did you know?  Change begins from within.

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