When do I get my silence, that little piece of space that is only mine and allows me to reflect? There are so, so many things that I truly do not understand. These occur to such an extent that I could believe that this life is but an illusion: a dream within a dream. When we watch the “news,” we are continually exposed to unbelievable violence and anguish. Yet in my life, I have experienced none of it. Am I merely lucky or is this but a created vector, a falsehood which attempts to move me in a certain way of thinking? I have come to contemplate thoughts like these as the years flash by. An example: as we know from the media, the world is quite literally “coming unglued.” There is unheard of violence on the streets and society is descending into anarchy, in the worst sense of the word. Yet two weeks ago, I went to a wedding and sat at a table with a local businessman. He had just opened a factory in a “violent” part of the world. I asked him about the security of his person and that of his employees. He looked at me in a quite flummoxed way. “I would never invest in a dangerous country; that country is fine. Why?” Now, who should I believe: the mass communications industry or this man?
There are people, who sit on the cynical side, who believe that fear is being artificially created to manufacture a new reality for the average individual: “There will be many such announcements in the future from the government of the US (and, for that matter, from the EU). Whether the ‘threats’ are real, or trumped-up for the occasion, will matter little. They will serve to remind citizens that international travel is portrayed as not only potentially dangerous, but, in fact, a national security threat.
Over the years, we have predicted frequently that, as the “Great Unraveling” (1) progresses, one of the developments will be the control of movement outside one’s borders. The movement that will be restricted will be both monetary and physical. The governments of the First World (particularly the EU and the US) will increase currency controls. In the US, the manner in which this has been playing out has had mostly to do with reporting requirements. The US has required reporting of all accounts and transactions by all the world’s financial institutions to the US Government, allowing them to know where every dollar held by every US citizen is located at any given time. Once this process is complete, the shearing of the sheep will begin.”(2)
This is certainly conspiratorial and a little extreme, but it is increasingly a line of thought that more and more “left-wing” thinkers subscribe to: the state is all-powerful and all intrusive; it seeks to control our lives.
In a much more positive light: this week, a friend of mine bought me a book entitled Streams in the Desert (ISBN: 976-0-310-23011-3). It is a book of daily aphorisms. We are left with this bit of wisdom from September 30th:
There was once a little plant that was small and whose growth was stunted, for it lived under the shade of a giant oak tree. The little plant valued the shade that covered it and highly regarded the quiet rest that its noble friend provided. One day a woodsman entered the forest and felled the giant oak. The little plant began to weep, crying out, “My shelter has been taken away. Now every fierce wind will blow on me, and every storm will seek to uproot me!”
The guardian angel of the little plant responded, “No! Now the sun will shine and showers will fall on you more abundantly than ever before. And people in amazement will say, “Look how that plant has grown! How gloriously beautiful it has become by removing that which was its shade and its delight!” (Parts of this essay were first published on October 29th, 2013)
A closing thought: I think it is essential that we look on the positive side of life. This is not naïve or escapist, it is just true. Any walk in a forest will show you the magnificence of God or Gaia’s creativity and, in fact, purpose for all life. It is to flourish and multiply. We must learn to understand the complex relationships that exist between each other and all living beings — regardless of where they are placed on the biological scale. The longer will “deal in” a world of dearth and want and fear, the longer it will take to resolve the truly difficult issues that mankind now faces: challenging but not insurmountable. The simple question is, “Are we up to the task?” I, for one, think yes we are!
To sum up: This week, we spoke about the need to maintain a positive view of life. The opposite will serve no one. Most certainly, it will not help me to be at peace.
To be noted: Doesn’t expecting the unexpected make the unexpected expected?
Just for fun: The Marriage of Figaro – Wichita Grand Opera
This week on your contemplative walk, please think of your own greatness.
Every day look for something magical and beautiful
Quote: Life is a beautiful mirage of my own making. If I desire to make it real and concrete, I must put in the effort and the time: the universe does not impart its wisdom easily.
Footnotes
1) This refers to societal collapse.
2) internationalman.com/September 30th, 2013