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  • Submitted by cgrotke on December 3, 2022 at 10:34 am

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    Never Take Anything For Granted:
    Elevating Mindfulness

    (on what happened while exiting an ailing elevator)

    by Morgan W. Brown

    Although life had long ago taught numerous lessons regarding never taking anything for granted or otherwise risk certain resulting negative consequences, particularly with the lengthy amount of years of having lived unhoused (without permanent housing; aka homeless) and the many dangers that can often come with these type of circumstances and experiences; there are times when it has become apparent some of those previous lessons might have been somewhat forgotten or even taken for granted after becoming affordably, permanently and safely housed thirteen years ago or, upon quiet reflection, so it might seem.

    An illuminating example is a recent experience about how, while it had been known that the ailing elevator in the aging three floor apartment building where one resides had been in disrepair for nearly three weeks after having been out of order for a portion of a night and then the next day as well; until it was put back into operation yet not fully repaired and, afterwards, had included an often malfunctioning door when running again as it had at times beforehand; when attempting to disembark the elevator, once the door was nearly fully opened on a recent Saturday evening, without any warning whatsoever, it suddenly jerked back and rather abruptly began to close, hitting one on the upper right side of one’s forehead really hard prior to the door receding. That area of one’s head is still a little bit sore, yet is nothing considered to be of serious concern.

    One of the painful lessons taken away from that particular incident is to try to remember to never take it for granted and then keep in mind about how Murphy’s First Law might find a way to remind one of the consequences of forgetting that anything that can go wrong will go wrong. It is therefore best not to assume otherwise or something could occur to quite literally jog one’s memory in that regard.

    However, it is not necessarily the case that this happened solely because one might have either forgotten those previous lessons or taken them and the related experiences and matters or present circumstances for granted; but, could also include that one’s preoccupied mind had been overly focused on other matters and what was next on the agenda and to do list and not in the here and now as well as what one was actually doing at that very moment in time.

    Thus, another painful lesson learned from this particular incident is to make sure to remind oneself to remember to focus on where one happens to be and one’s surroundings as well as what one is doing at the moment, not what one might be doing and where they may be at some future date or moment or other various matters of concern either.

    Failure to do so could result in a serious body blow and potentially dire consequences of one sort or another.

    This is part of why it can be both beneficial as well as imperative to consciously elevate and highly prioritize as well as exercise and practice mindfulness as best as one can in any given moment.

    Mindfulness defined (via Google Search for the term; excerpted):

    mind·ful·ness

    /ˈmīn(d)f(ə)lnəs/

    […]

    noun

    the quality or state of being conscious or aware of something.
    […]

    a mental state achieved by focusing one’s awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one’s feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations, used as a therapeutic technique.

    All that stated and one’s very dry sense of humor as well as puns aside, however and nonetheless, what truly needs to be addressed in the meantime is about how the elevator in an apartment building, which is home to aging seniors and people with disabilities who subsist on low incomes, ought to be properly fixed post haste.

    It is either that or, if one is not restricted by a mobility impairment or disability, one might just have to consider taking the stairs instead (even when carrying a load of items); something that is not always the best option, merely one with somewhat less risk to injury, except for the possibility of falling, further fatigue or ill health as a result of climbing or descending one or more flights of stairs in lieu of taking an ailing and potentially hazardous elevator.

    Seriously, the fact is that one should not have to be compelled or expected to accept what could easily be taken as mere lame or otherwise poor excuses about why the elevator can’t be properly repaired sooner rather than later; especially when getting around to doing it at some future date might be far too late and someone is seriously maimed or, equally as needlessly tragic, worse.

    Morgan W. Brown
    Wednesday, November 30, 2022
    Edited and revised: Thursday, December 1, 2022
    Montpelier, Vermont, USA

    Bio: Morgan W. Brown, resides in Montpelier and had previously lived unhoused for years on and off until he became permanently housed in mid-August of 2009 (read a small portion of his life experiences, here; via Times Argus; circa: 2009; note: nearly two weeks after the profile article was published, he became permanently housed and has been since). He is a struggling writer as well as an activist and advocate on behalf of those most in need.

    Author’s Note:

    This essay could potentially be edited for the purposes of clarification and readability.

    Editors and publishers: Please consult the author via email prior to considering publishing this essay.

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