I recently went to Maryland for a pharmacy conference.  (I am a full-time pharmacist working for a pharmacy benefit management company.)  I hadn’t traveled for work in a long time. It was the first time I was on an airplane in almost 3 years.  I flew out of LAX (Los Angeles International Airport), one of the busiest airports in the world. Although I live in Orange County and John Wayne Airport is closer, I chose to fly out of LAX because there was a direct flight to DCA (Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport).

Usually, I have TSA Pre-Check, so I go through a shorter security line.  But when I got my electronic boarding pass, it didn’t show the TSA Pre-Check symbol.  I called the airline and gave them my Known Travel Number and asked that it be added to my reservation.  After waiting a bit, the TSA Pre-Check symbol still did not show up on my boarding pass.  After doing research on the internet, I found out that it was because the Known Travel Number expires in 5 years, and it had expired during the pandemic. So, I had to make sure to get to the airport early so that I could go through the long security line that snaked back and forth like a popular Disneyland ride.  As I waited, I thought of Jim Pollard’s standing meditation instructions from OCBC’s weekly mindfulness service.  He told us how standing meditation is useful when we must wait in long lines. I think I was a lot more patient that day. Usually, I’m very fidgety and impatient.

I landed at DCA during rush hour.  I previously checked Uber for a ride, but it was very expensive during rush hour, so I opted to get a taxi.  I made it out of the busy terminal and found the taxi loading area where I found another long line.  I patiently waited again and practiced standing meditation.  Finally, I got into a taxi. The driver was a friendly man, who was a little hard to understand because he was wearing a mask and had a thick accent. He tells me he’s from Pakistan and talks the entire cab ride. I just sat in the back, listening and nodding my head and answered with a few “mm-hmms” and “oh wows”.  He tells me that his country is changing and that “Greed and Ego destroy the whole world”.  Wow, this man understands Buddhism! He’s reminding me about the Three Poisons of Greed, Anger, and Ignorance. He’s reminding me of the Four Noble Truths where selfish egos cause suffering.

As we continue to drive through the busy freeways of Washington DC and Maryland, the driver gets slightly upset when he tries to change lanes, and nobody lets him in.  He says, “There are two modern ways to commit suicide: Hurry and worry!”  Now he is reminding me of living in the present moment. When you try to hurry through life, you miss everything! We often have worry and anxiety of the future, but the future is never here. 

At this point, I take out my phone and start typing all his words of wisdom.  Here are a few more:

• “You need balance in your life; between yourself, your friends, and family.  Then the universe will be balanced.”

• “People see the world in black and white; but it’s in layers.”

• “All men are created equal. We need to respect all humans, so they have self-respect. When you deprive people of self-respect, then the monster comes out.”

I was reminded that we have Dharma teachers or Bodhisattvas everywhere, often in unexpected places. We just need to open our hearts and minds and listen.  As we pulled up to my hotel, I was a little sad that my ride came to an end. I gave the driver a good tip and he was on his way.  The taxi ride was such a great way to start the busy week!