Until the Bell Rings

In these pandemic days meditation takes place on Zoom. On a Wednesday evening in early December my teacher instructs us to sit and be in the moment by focusing on our breath. We are to practice this until the bell rings. 
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I’m concerned about Jill. She is fairly new to our practice. We just got her. I don’t want to lose her. What does “She might have had a stroke” mean anyway?  
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I spoke to my son earlier today about my colon.
“You don’t mind that I spoke to my friend (Tara, Sarah, whoever she is) about your colon?” asks my son.  “I don’t give a sh%t," I reply. 
He doesn’t think my response is as funny as I do.
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His friend SarahTara says I have to eat more fiber and drink more water. Who is this  SaraTara anyway? Oh, she’s a doctor! And she doesn’t recognize the fiber content of  Campbell’s Chicken Noodle soup and and a bologna sandwich with lots of lettuce.  
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Is it selfish I want Jill to be better so I can enjoy her humor and learn from her. I do  want her better for her own sake. So, what’s going on here? Oh, it’s that Buddhism bit  about suffering, old age, and things constantly changing. Sounds like a control issue to me.  
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When’s this bell ever gonna wring? How did Do’an fall down the stairs? Didn’t involve a dog, so he says. But, I wonder, was it Dahlia in the study or Tessi in the library? Wait a minute. This isn’t a British cozy mystery.  
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A softly snoring dog sleeping next to me is having a twitching dream. Did he finally catch that bunny? Earlier in the day he gave chase to a huge golden brown fluff ball of a bunny with a white pom pom tail. But, alas, the bunny hip-hopped right through the  opening in the fence. Brody was left speechless. Or is that barkless?  
In and out
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My teacher says we are to watch our breath. How on earth do I do that? Maybe the colonoscopy doc could do that…he also does endoscopies…uses a very small  camera. 
Maybe I should try counting my breath. According to my teacher we are to inhale and count one on the exhale. That’s not the way I do it. I’ll try his way. No luck. I’ll go back to my way. Inhale, exhale, one, inhale, exhale, two…
Just when I’m getting in my stride, I’m up to seven, the bell rings. My teacher thinks Jane is asleep. Hmm. Maybe I am too. 

Yours until the bell rings… 
 Wanseon Devadipa [meaning "Complete Meditation"] (Ann Campanie)