Our guide says jet lag should never be a problem
if we know the proper way to deal with it.
Without realizing it, he tells us, each day
we’ve been filling a reservoir of positive karma
within us, and this good energy is the key.
Every time we show some sort of kindness,
even if it is just a smile – behind masks, as well,
or a “thank you,” the amount in that pool grows.
At the end of the day, then, at bedtime,
if our brains and bodies won’t allow us to sleep,
we need only think back on all our kind actions
over the day, and we will tap into that reservoir,
allowing our minds and bodies to relax.
He concludes by joking that if we haven’t performed
any kind acts, now’s the time to do so by thanking him.
He laughs, and so do we, all of us offering him our mahalos
as we leave the bus dragging ourselves to check-in and bed.
I was so tired after the flight from Hawai ‘i to Korea,
I figured I’d have no trouble falling asleep.
But lying there, even if I would drop off quickly,
I recalled, at least, the thanks and smiles I gave
to our flight attendants, and before I knew it,
my alarm was beeping me awake this morning.
Lanning Lee 