Friday, January 18, 2008

A Real Question for James Lipton

If I were James Lipton at the Actor’s Studio, I would ask my celebrities this question:

“If the whole world were like a high school, then celebrities would be the athletes and cheerleaders of the world, the uber-popular kids …

"What has the experience of celebrity done for your personhood? Have you used celebrity to your advantage in less than savoury ways? Has celebrity used you to its advantage in less than savoury ways?

"Have you discovered a way—within celebrity—to be grounded and kind? Have you discovered valueless-ness in what, before, seemed valuable to you?

"… Have you found a new value—a silence, a richness, a wonder within?—that goes beyond fame, adventure, wealth and power? … Or have you become lost in the roiling waves of the world’s fantastical projections?

… or maybe you are somewhere in between?

Enlighten us!”


(and, of course, enquiring minds want to know ... )

Monday, January 14, 2008

Clarity

It is becoming more and more clear to me that we live with nothing but our thoughts. "I want," "I need"--thoughts of non-completion (incompleteness? Help me here ... ). "I love this." "I love you." Ahhhh, now here are some thoughts to rest in, to fall into ...

"I am fine."

"You are fine."

"This is fine."

What can we do about any of it, anyway? Really?

Life goes on despite our decisions and worries and concerns. Mostly having very little--if anything!--to do with any kind of plan or picture of what we thought life would be like. It's just going, flowing. It is stuck in traffic. It is wife leaving us for another man. It is husband being judgmental. It is mother-in-law being worried. It is child throwing tantrum, becoming drug addict.

It is all these "terrible" things.

When we no longer care (or rather, when we care deeply about our peace of mind instead) the judgment begins to slow down ... and then it stops. And then we realize, oh, You are Me. Hey, great, it's fantastic that you are:

boring me with details
having an affair
not going to pay me the money you borrowed

What do I care when I am in love with Life
and Life

has started

to love

me

back!




( ... the view beyond my judgment is
just
so much
better

and I can't even imagine
what lies
beyond
That!)