The Master...

Years ago, when I was still in "the job", I befriended a group of street people... One day, on a lunchtime walk around the city, I came across the group sitting on the sidewalk in the shade of a building. I stopped and chatted with them and noticed the absence of one of them and I asked, "Hey... where is Ozzie ?" "Oh.." one of them replied, " he's up the street and across... passed out... drunk..." and that became my mission, to find Ozzie. I left them and went up the street and found him sprawled out at the edge of the sidewalk, near a small tree. I went to him and gently shook him... "Come on, Ozzie... get up... you can't stay here..." He opened his eyes and groggily struggled to his feet... " Come on", I said, "I'll buy you some coffee or soup or something... " He turned and looked at me, shook his head and gave me a gentle push on the shoulder and said, "No man... I've got to do it my self..." turned and staggered off down the street. I stared after him in awe... here was a master giving me a great teaching... I, in my arrogance, believed I could help him but he knew that whatever I did or what I could offer, would not help him at all... the help he needed was only available from within himself... he needed to choose a different path and that would only happen when he was ready... It was a lesson that I relearned time and time again... That I could only truly help some one who was willing to help themselves... for them to see where they were and move to change their lives... to do otherwise is only enabling them to continue their old patterns... My friend Ozzie was one of my great teachers of compassion... all I could do was honor him on his path and pray or support him energetically through this time... I cannot recall seeing him again... my own life was in turmoil and I too, was in the process of change at the time and shortly thereafter, left my job... I can only hope that he did "do it himself " and chose a different life path... I think of him from time to time and wonder where he is... I am grate full to him for all that he taught me of life and of my self.....