Lefty Jane (Lao Tzu, Gandhi & Me)

Date: 2010-12-09, 4:34PM EST
Reply to: pers-pxmfd-2103152816@craigslist.org

Years ago ~ I was in a bar in Laguna Beach when a fair-skinned girl in her twenties walked in and started going table to table trying to sell her very childlike crayon drawings.

Five bucks a piece.

I’m ashamed to say that I had a laugh ~ I made fun of her and her drawings. The bartender was kind enough to set me straight.

This girl, Jane, was in a horrible car accident and suffered brain damage. She didn’t want to be a burden to her parents or the state. So, she decided to make her own way in the world.

Selling these drawings was how she supported herself.

I was taken aback.

I was moved.

I was ashamed.

I mean, whatever problems I thought I had were nothing compared to Jane’s. She had brain damage and still didn’t fold ~ she figured out a way to keep moving.

This should be a lesson for anyone that thinks they have it tough or can’t see a way to make ends meet.

I think of Jane every now and again. Even though, it’s been well over a decade since I’ve seen her ~ she had a profound impact on me.

A lasting profound impact.

I’ve shared Lefty Jane’s drawings and story many times over the years. It wasn’t until five years in that I realized her name was really Jane Letty. She signs her drawings LETTY JANE.

I thought the T was an F.

Anyway, I will be keeping Jane’s drawings as one of my 100 things. It will serve as a poignant reminder when things get rough or if I think I can’t take my boss anymore ~ to just take a deep breath and remember that if Jane can make it, so can I.

There is always a way.

Always.

I purchased several drawings from Jane that day. My favorite is still the one of Jesus with the wetsuits.

I wonder how Jane is doing today. Is she still daring to move? I like to think so. I really do. Because, if she can ~ for fuck’s sake, so can I.

So, if you are ever in Laguna Beach and have the pleasure of meeting Jane ~ please, take the time to show her the kindness of strangers.

And, even if you never have the chance to meet her ~ you can still think of her whenever life seems like a little too much to bear. And, you can dare yourself to move just like Jane did ~ because if she can do it with all the cards stacked against her ~ you sure the hell have no excuse not to do the same.

The gift that Jane gave me ~ the important life lesson I learned from her was that every obstacle is an opportunity ~ an opportunity that you just haven’t recognized yet. And, the secret to overcoming every obstacle is in knowing that if you keep moving toward it instead of away, the opportunity will come into focus.

And, when it does ~ you will have the wherewithal to take full advantage of it. Since you didn’t expend all of your energy focusing on the door that just closed ~ you will have the strength to walk through the door that just opened.

That’s the thing about opportunities and challenges ~ nothing happens until you show up.

Thank you ~ Jane Letty ~ for teaching me this.

And, now I’m wondering ~ could her name be Letty Jane instead of Jane Letty?

Fuck.

IMAGE: “Fishes” by Jane Letty, 1996

www.MyLotsaStuff.com


* Location: Lao Tzu, Gandhi & Me

Found at: http://sydney.craigslist.com.au/rnr/2103152816.html