Beginner's Mind

My YES of the day was, despite my inherent fear of heat in August and late pregnancy and having a total breathing episode, to agree to go floating around in the pool with my wonderful girlfriend N. and her adorable 1 year old baby boy, D. The float turned out to be one of the best YES's ever - I never go in the pool during the day but did you know, that when it's a little toasty out, you can just go in and out of the water and not be cold or hot but JUST RIGHT?! It was one of the best sensations I've felt since I've been pregnant.

Even better was to watch little D. and his fascination with the world around him. A cliche, perhaps, but the power of what in Zen is called "Beginner's Mind" breathes through a baby. His own distorted reflection in the metal railing; the rocks in the garden and the noise they make when they clank together; the hinges on the gate; the duckies - how they feel, how they taste, how they sound; the water splashing differently if he kicks, or if he hits... Are these things that we don't explore because we already know, or because we forget to explore at all? To approach the world around you with a Beginner's Mind seems like a brilliant way to take a moment to extract meaning from the day.

I noticed that when I am driving, and so focused on the very immediate windshield, hood, and car in front of me that I often miss the big picture. I'm often so absorbed in thoughts about where I am going, or where I came from, or other driver behavior, that I fail to be in the moment - and driving is filled with wonderful things. Solitude, for example, and peace and quiet. Effortless movement. Inevitable, when I access my Beginner's Mind, or come into the moment fully, the first thing I notice is that the sky is always magnificent and that I can see all of the scenery and still remain safe on the road. There is a big picture and it's easily accessible and new.

Here was my ecological dilemma - any suggestions for this one? My husband's work shirts require some kind of spray starch. Usually I use non-starch spray or whatever that Niagara stuff is (it's in my mom's closet and it's purple), but he just pointed out that it's not too eco-friendly. Thoughts?