Wednesday, September 06, 2006
Seeking The Balance Point
It’s hard for me to get back to my raging crusading self. Maybe some of that was stress-induced or stress-obsessed. Going to ceremony certainly gave me some room to back off. Gave me vision that went beyond the day-to-day rage at the bullshit we’re handed on such a regular basis.
Were we ever not handed bullshit? When in my life did the various media ever present the world as I saw it, understood it, lived it? As far as I can remember, our social inputs such as advertising and news and entertainment have always reenforced a version of the world that just doesn’t quite jibe with what I see around me. ...Or, it could be an indication that I’m nuts, sure.
Only, if I’m nuts it’s in terms of a socially-defined version of nuts. Insanity is a truly subjective definition. “Does God talk to you?” “Are inanimate objects alive?” “Do you talk to spirits?”
Yes, yes, yes! On a daily basis, as a matter of fact. And, by the way, a lot of people I know would answer the questions the same way. They’d also point out that the official version of Reality is crazier than hell.
Going off to do ceremony reminded me of all this. Four days of serious prayer and sacrifice, four days without referring to TV, movies, current events, style, fashion, money, competition—none of that. One point to focus on: the relationship between us and the Great Mystery. That outlook (or inlook, depending), altered all the relationships for the people there. It was healthy.
It is healthy. The alternative is sickness.
The question is, what to do about it? I know if I ignore the official world it isn’t going to go away; it’s only going to get worse, even more intrusive and corrupt than it already is. I suppose there’s a balancing point between the spiritual and material world. I haven’t found it yet. But I'm still trying...
Were we ever not handed bullshit? When in my life did the various media ever present the world as I saw it, understood it, lived it? As far as I can remember, our social inputs such as advertising and news and entertainment have always reenforced a version of the world that just doesn’t quite jibe with what I see around me. ...Or, it could be an indication that I’m nuts, sure.
Only, if I’m nuts it’s in terms of a socially-defined version of nuts. Insanity is a truly subjective definition. “Does God talk to you?” “Are inanimate objects alive?” “Do you talk to spirits?”
Yes, yes, yes! On a daily basis, as a matter of fact. And, by the way, a lot of people I know would answer the questions the same way. They’d also point out that the official version of Reality is crazier than hell.
Going off to do ceremony reminded me of all this. Four days of serious prayer and sacrifice, four days without referring to TV, movies, current events, style, fashion, money, competition—none of that. One point to focus on: the relationship between us and the Great Mystery. That outlook (or inlook, depending), altered all the relationships for the people there. It was healthy.
It is healthy. The alternative is sickness.
The question is, what to do about it? I know if I ignore the official world it isn’t going to go away; it’s only going to get worse, even more intrusive and corrupt than it already is. I suppose there’s a balancing point between the spiritual and material world. I haven’t found it yet. But I'm still trying...
