Hiding A Penny
Escondiendo un centavo--por Annie Dillard
Cuando tenÃa seis o siete años, mientras crecÃa en Pittsburgh, solÃa coger uno de mis valiosos centavos y ocultarlo para que otro lo encontrara. Era una compulsión curiosa; Lamentablemente, nunca la he vuelto a sentir desde entonces. Por alguna razón, siempre "escondÃa" el centavo en el mismo tramo de la acera, en la calle. Lo envolvÃa en las raÃces de un sicómoro, por ejemplo, o en un agujero de los que quedan cuando la acera se desconcha. Luego con un trozo de tiza y, comenzando en cada extremo del bloque, dibujaba enormes flechas que conducÃan al centavo desde ambas direcciones.
Después de aprender a escribir, etiquetaba las flechas: SORPRESA DELANTE o DINERO EN ESTA DIRECCIÓN. Me emocionaba mucho mientras dibujaba las flechas y al pensar en el primer afortunado que pasarÃa y recibirÃa de este modo, sin importar su mérito, un regalo gratuito del universo. Pero nunca espiaba. Me iba directa a casa y no volvÃa a pensar en el asunto, hasta que, algunos meses después, volvÃa a sentir el impulso de ocultar otro centavo.
El mundo está bastante salpicado y lleno de centavos lanzados por una mano generosa. Pero, y este es el punto, ¿Quién se emociona con un simple centavo?
Es una pobreza extrema, de hecho, cuando un hombre está tan desnutrido y fatigado que no se agacha para recoger un centavo. Pero si cultivas una pobreza y una simplicidad sanas, de modo que encontrar un centavo te mejorará el dÃa literalmente, entonces, dado que el mundo está en realidad sembrado de centavos, has comprado con tu pobreza toda una vida llena de dÃas felices.
Es asà de simple.
Preguntas semilla para la reflexión: ¿Cómo te relacionas con la noción de “pobreza y simplicidad sanas†que te permite estar alegre en el descubrimiento? ¿Puedes compartir una historia personal de una ocasión en la que te deleitaste con gratitud por recibir un regalo simple, humilde y anónimo? ¿Qué te ayuda a cultivar una 'pobreza y simplicidad sanas'?
Extracto de Annie Dillard extraÃdo de su libro, 'Pilgrim at Tinker Creek'.
Annie Dillard's excerpt taken from her book, 'Pilgrim at Tinker Creek.'
SEED QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION: How do you relate to the notion of 'healthy poverty and simplicity' that allows you to be joyful in discovery? Can you share a personal story of a time you reveled in gratitude for receiving a simple, humble and anonymous gift? What helps you cultivate a 'healthy poverty and simplicity'?
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6 Past Reflections
On Jun 20, 2019 Shyam Gupta wrote :
A wonderful passage. A healthy poverty , as per me , a state where small things bring a tremendous amount of pleasure.
one who is pleased with small things, events or happenings will always be a happy man. One who is happy and willing to be surprised and tremendously happy at those surprises is a truly happy man.
one who is pleased with small things, events or happenings will always be a happy man. One who is happy and willing to be surprised and tremendously happy at those surprises is a truly happy man.
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On Jun 18, 2019 Jitu Jhaveri wrote :
Healthy poverty is an oxymoron. I see that people here who are commenting seem to stretch their imagination to just babble on any topic and live in a state of happiness or pseudo happiness and call it a great thing! Whether they are addressing what is at hand or not.
Poor kids never know and think of them as poor are in poverty. They are happy regardless most of the time as long as they have someone to play with! I think reality requires one to make a proper value judgmentand need to feel how it feels in their own body, whether stressful or relaxing? The feeling of relaxation in the body guides you towards reality and helps you look at the world with fresh eyes and value small, small delights, even picking up pennies. When someone who is malnourished and fatigue he is not seeing those pennies so does not pick up pennies. it is as simple as that. It is not dire poverty, it is just stupidity and poverty of imagination.
Poor kids never know and think of them as poor are in poverty. They are happy regardless most of the time as long as they have someone to play with! I think reality requires one to make a proper value judgmentand need to feel how it feels in their own body, whether stressful or relaxing? The feeling of relaxation in the body guides you towards reality and helps you look at the world with fresh eyes and value small, small delights, even picking up pennies. When someone who is malnourished and fatigue he is not seeing those pennies so does not pick up pennies. it is as simple as that. It is not dire poverty, it is just stupidity and poverty of imagination.
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On Jun 18, 2019 alex merrin wrote :
I once read a story about a woman who experienced great delight in finding pennies. Over a period of 16 years she saved every one she found. She kept them, she banked them and one day discovered a long held dream to visit family roots in Europe became a reality. The pennies all added up to her trip of a lifetime.
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On Jun 15, 2019 David Doane wrote :
I guess a healthy poverty and simplicity is having only as much of whatever as I need. Unhealthy wealth and complexity is having much more than I need. My daughter does a lot of business related traveling. She took me to India with her, much of the trip being not simple or anonymous, but it was a humble gift to a place I wanted to go and thought I never would go. We went to several ancient cities and places considered sacred and it was a remarkable experience. I still revel in gratitude for receiving the gift. What helps me cultivate a healthy poverty and simplicity is my goal of holding on to only what I need and giving away what I don't need. Detachment is a healthy poverty and simplicity that brings joy and I live that way a little more and more. Less is usually enough.
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On Jun 14, 2019 Jagdish P Dave wrote :
Healthy poverty to me means that I feel fullness in my heart. I feel a deep and abiding sense of contentment. There is nothing missing in the fullness of my heart. I do not feel the urge or craving to have something more in my life to fill the cup of my life.
Living this way has simplified my way of living day by day. I receive anonymous precious gifts from nature day in and day out and from people in my life for surviving and flourishing my life. I feel a deep sense of gratitude for such free precious gifts bestowed upon me with no conditions.
There are times when my mind deviates from this way of living, I feel something is missing in me and I look for filling the vacancy from outside of me. I forget the wise saying of Saint Kabir ' Fragrance of happiness and fullness lies within you.' or " All is well" as my mother used to chant.
Paying attention when I mentally deviate from the right path of living fully inwardly and turning back to the path helps me to cultivate ... [View Full Comment]