It is not what you may be thinking. But it may be something to really think about; something that may very well shift your perspective about life itself and its, perhaps ultimate certainty.
I say “perhaps,” because some things are simply unknowable; at least for now.
Hopefully, sharing my perspective here triggers your own curiosity. It is what has raised questions in my mind; questions to be asked, and answers to be sought.
Now, since we are all together, in this thing called life, I believe we should seek out each other and mindfully connect. It is important that we come together to have a meeting of the mind, whether in the real world or here in cyberspace.
Whenever possible, I will always prefer to meet in the warmth of human presence where and when we can engage in the senses; to sit together, to think together, and to make a heartful effort in the search for answers that would give us a clearer sense of life; answers that may validate or shift our perspectives and beliefs for the better.
Unlike someone being stripped of their freedoms and remanded to serve a life sentence in a prison cell on death row, the rest of us, as well, are inevitably sentenced to death, be it natural or otherwise.
This perspective may sound dark to some of you. But I hope what it does raises your curiosity, instead.
The obvious difference between those who are stripped of their freedom and the rest of us…. is that we get to keep ours; the freedom to live the life we want to live, where, when, why, how, and to choose to be who we want to be.
These we are free to “be” and “do,” irrespective of our differing beliefs and the choices we make.
Still, we are all in a prison, the same prison which houses, any and, all the physical brick and mortar places where people like us sit, wait, and know they will soon experience what may be the most consequential life event.
They know the date, time, process, and method. Everyone in the Row knows.
I say consequential only because my intelligence is limited to the knowledge within the realm of the collective mind to date.
For all I know, there may be no consequence at all, something more beautiful than the collective mind could have ever imagined or something more dreadful than any human has ever experienced.
Nevertheless, I choose to believe that what awaits us…. is something more beautiful than we can even contemplate.
Even though there is already so much love, beauty and kindness inside this prison, there must be more than what I see when I look out the window of my little bubble, albeit good enough for now.
Our thoughts and beliefs do not change the reality of the existence of this prison. Others, even you, may have seriously contemplated its reality, and still others simply wonder if it is just an illusion.
I have pondered the idea and have wondered the same.
However, I do not dismiss the idea as simply unknowable and give up the search for answers; not yet. The challenge, for me though, lies in reconciling what may be unknowable, and what now seems unimaginable.
My limited mind frustrates me.
So, where do I begin my search? Well, what you are reading here is my beginning; well, maybe not.
I have delved into deep thought about this idea, but from another perspective, and have made a similar call in the piece I wrote titled, Is Time…?
In it, I mention the “third mind”, and here too, it is essential if answers are to be found, if at all.
Of course, this is not to suggest we should abandon the search for answers because they may seem unknowable. No. We should go as far as we can while we’re in this prison, and for as long as we serve.
COOPERATION – When two people come together to work on an idea, three minds are present: yours, mine, and the fusion of ours. Don’t tell me we can’t get it done. Let’s do it! – WG.
A soft but powerful Truth: We do not run out of Time. We simply run out of Life.
Not to worry though, just as the baton of knowledge was relayed and passed on to us, so will we relay and pass on what we have learned to those who are here after we have served.
Of course, that is if there are any inmates (us) left, and that the prison still “exists.”
So, here I am calling out to you and the collective mind to seek ways to connect, to share perspectives and fuse streams of thoughts; the “third mind” effect, if you will.
For now, what I do “know” is that I was born in “it” and will die (run out of life) in “it.” So will you.
OF MAN AND FISH – Fish do not get water, and Man do not get air. Each is born in its own element. Just the same, Man nor Fish get Time; they’re born in it – WG.
There may be no way to avoid being born into “it” and evidently, no way to stay in “it”. I say this because my thinking is limited to the contents of the collective mind’s library.
Of course, this is not to suggest I have read every book in it, of course not. That is the work of the collective mind and why meetings of the mind are the best course of action in order that we may find the answers we seek.
Fortunately, or not, I still am, and I continue to think.
I digress. To me, it is the ultimate paradox, this “it”; this “it” that is what I refer to as the Master Element; this “it” we “know” or “don’t” know, as Time.
This element, that is the prison within which we live and die (run out of life); the same prison within which each one of us live out our lives in our own separate bubble; our own cell, if you will.
The prison that was here before us and, I suppose, will be here after us, so long as there is at least one life serving its sentence.
OUR OWN BUBBLE OF TIME -Each one of us live in our own individual bubble of Time; A bubble that, as time elapses, eventually bursts when we run out of Life – WG
Then what, timelessness, or a transition into another type of prison; one that is inconceivable to the collective mind, while inside this one?
One wherein the senses, as we know them, may not be useful or even necessary. I repeat: One wherein the senses, as we know them, may not be useful or even necessary.
I do not believe anyone knows. Do you?
Yet again, back to here and now, where most of us are not just sitting around and waiting. No. We are living the life we know; sensing, experiencing, and reacting to the scale of emotions intrinsic to humankind; from hate to love, from sadness to happiness; just living out the human condition and all its facets.
My own experiences have moved me to believe that living is mostly an emotional experience and, less so, an intellectual one.
Necessarily though, the key to making sense of life so that we may live as best we can, is our minds. It is our steering mechanism. We “do” or not “do” what it tells us or “be” or not “be” one way or another.
A DOING PROPOSITION – It is important that our focus be on “being” aware that living is a “doing” proposition, fueled by emotions and steered by our thoughts – WG.
Most of us are OK, at least good enough for now. So, being as we are, much is not lost. Instead, much has been found and the search for more continues. It must.
It would seem we have evolved well enough for the times we are living in. Still, we must continue to evolve, and “well enough” is always an easier place from which to forge the path forward.
So, we must hold the line and continue to search as individuals, as three-minded teams, as a collective; to continue to mindfully evolve.
Simply stumbling into the future cannot and must not, be an option.
It is the hope we hold on to, at least on the inside of this prison; the hope being, at least it is mine, that those of us, which fortunately are most of us, continue to behave with care, kindness, compassion, gratitude and love, and that our behavior spread like a contagious ease to those who are working through their own sense of “being”, living in this prison.
That a “time” comes when the collective Mind embraces a collective Heart; that we, each one of us, continue to live with and care for each other, if only for goodness’s sake. That we stop judging others when we too, are serving the same sentence and in the same prison.
YOUR FRONT DOOR – It is one thing to know that the Devil is out there somewhere. It is quite another, for him to knock on your front door and ask for you by name. Avoid the “knock”. Do no harm. Do not judge. Have empathy – WG.
We should be mindful that there is no way to know when this prison was designed. As I mentioned before, we were born in “it,” prison babies, if you will.
What we do “know” however, is that there is an exit, into what or where, who knows. We only know that, as many have before us, we too will be discharged when we have completed our sentence.
Who we are, what we believe or how we chose to live does not grant us a Stay.
So, it is a good thing that as we live along, we should do our best to get along.
PRISON RULES: Rule #1- Do not judge. Rule #2- Do no harm Rule. #3- Be kind.
Just imagine, always following at least these three simple rules; rules that are written down in every good book known to humankind. It would make serving our time in our own little bubble, a more hopeful, beautiful, and loving journey.
It is not going out with a bang as many scholars, philosophers and scientist believe is how we came to “be”, the inception of this prison, if you will.
No. That we are “here” and now, it is about but going out with what the great Bob Marley sang, “One Love, One Heart: A collective Love, a collective Heart steered by a collective Mind.
We are still free. We still think. There is still hope. There is a horizon ahead. But it is all the collective mind’s eye can see from “here.”
Still, we must press on until the horizon is no more; until it becomes the next here and now facing a new and more hopeful horizon.
Meanwhile, and as we journey, let us pave the path with all that we know as good and beautiful. Let us continue to live along and get along with this, as a collective sense of “being”.
We will need to “be” this way when we get to the next here and now; maybe more so then, than we are. It would show that we continue to evolve well.
So, with hope, curiosity, and courage, let us go where the collective mind has never gone before.
TRUST – Trust God, and as you do your best, believe in yourself, be patient, and trust your destiny – WG.