Order here
This week one of the great teachers left the planet. Thich Nhat Hanh’s writings and teachings have become integral to any peace, any clarity, any intention or certainty I may occasionally have about my life or work or being. From the first time I read Peace is Every Step, I knew it would be the study of a lifetime, the simple (?) challenge of “walking not in order to arrive, but to walk”, and of course, washing the dishes to wash the dishes.
Here’s a story.
In Hillsborough where I live, there was a well-loved restaurant, Lu-E-g’s, which was a community gathering place, a center for art and music and good food. “Order Here” is one of the beautifully hand-lettered signs that were all over the building. This one hung over the cash register: “Order Here”. It’s where you stood to order your turkey melt or bowl of soup or ice cream. We’ve all seen this invitation/direction hundreds of times, we look for it so we know what to do to get what we came for!
Stopping for a cup of coffee at Lu-E-g’s, scoping the local scene from its perspective is the way our family landed in this good town.
A couple years later our family and another bought Lu-E’g’s, and we had to make big changes in the building and the signs came down. This sign stayed at my desk there, a reminder of the stream of history, what had been loved and would be again.
When we re-opened as The James Pharmacy Restaurant, it seemed important to hold on to, but I couldn’t find the right place for it, so I hung it in the kitchen, on an overhead pot rack at the dish sink “for now”.
One afternoon when the dishwasher didn’t show up I jumped in. It’s a job I’ve never minded doing, especially when life or work or people-ing is hard and overwhelming, but GAAAHHH! That day there were so many other things I was supposed to be doing. As I turned piles of dishes and trash and schmutz into steaming, gleaming piles of pots and pans and dishes ready to cook and serve more food, though, peace began to replace my frustration. At some point I reached up to hang a pot and saw this sign hanging right over my head and realized that rather than “Order Here”, it now said “Order Here”: here, there is order.
The clouds may have parted and a ray of sun shone on it, and on me. That’s how my heart felt. My held-back tears of self-righteous anger and frustration became tears of gratitude.
I have kept it near since, in offices, pantries and kitchens, and have often used it as my business logo. Currently it is hanging over the library corner in my prison cook school classroom, which I have not seen in two years. It is alongside a walking path there. I hope when people walk by the window of that building, they see the sign and remember this story, or make one up for themselves. When school is open again, I will ask them.
Is there a book you’ve had for a very long time that still moves you deeply or daily? I’d love to hear the story, if you want to share it here. Or just go, yourself, and pull out that soft-paged, dog-eared treasure and read it to yourself again. You may like to thank the writer or teacher by refreshing or renewing your practice, and sharing it with someone else.
