Time in a Bottle...

Though today was full of the seemingly endless little frustrations that keep popping up, the most important part of today was that after everything, I had a revelation.

This is my brain on revelation.

No, not a biblical, going to save the world revelation.  

Just a tiny, small, itsy bitsy Sarah size revelation.  (Not that any of those words describe me.:)

I was almost brought to tears over my silly Vitacost order that cost me over $200 (yes, I know) and of which I currently have less than half.  I was so excited, literally dancing down the walkway leading the delivery man to my door.  That performance earned me the typically stoic Japanese "non-expression", but I was so happy I didn't mind.

Then ---POP!  Bubble exploded everywhere, making my whole apartment full of icky sticky badness.  I mean, what am I supposed to do with salsa and no tortilla chips?  Peanut butter, chocolate chips, but no graham crackers--how can I make my delicious peanut butter, chocolate and graham cracker delights?  All the ingredients for chili except the chili beans?

Recipes schmecipes--useless without ingredients.

I decided to take out my frustration yoga style, with my favorite teacher, Kathryn Budig.  90 minutes later, I was still upset, so I headed out as the sun was setting for a walk through the local shrine and temple.

I power walked down the hill towards the narrow road leading to the shrine.  Typically, I walk about an hour later, and the shrine is very dark.

Tonight, the light hit everything just right, illuminating small nooks and crannies and making everything luminous despite the marker and masking tape handball signs irreverently slapped onto every building and statue.

I slowed my pace, and braved the bugs and walked in between and around every building and statue. I slowed down and observed the worn down writing and glimpses of paint I had not noticed before.  Before I knew it, I was calm and smiling.

As I walked back with the setting sun shining on the neighborhood flowers and gardens, I realized that this is exactly what I've ever wanted.

Time.  Time to sit at shrines and do nothing but admire their beauty, and wonder at their history.  Time to spend 90 minutes doing yoga.  Time to communicate with friends and family I have not been good to over the years.

Maybe, at the end of my time in Japan, I will finally have accomplished what I have always hoped for--peace.

Oh, and the ability to levitate.

On the other hand, I could get so blinking lazy I come to the U.S., am unable to function in the hectic, fast-paced environment, lose my job and live in a homeless shelter for the rest of my life.

Just giving fair value to all possibilities.:)