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On the road again:
Greetings from Green Valley, Arizona,
on Memorial Day weekend
Today's Story
Memorial, a word that means “
a structure, established to remind people of a person or event.”
The “structure” for Memorial Day is virtual. It’s a
day
that, in more “normal” years, would mark the beginning of the nation's outdoor summer activities.
But, this year, a little unseen “bug” is keeping a lot of people—at least the smarter folks—somewhat “socially distanced” from their friends and relatives. “Oh, pooh!” many say.
The reasons for not going to the beach or honoring fallen heroes in cemeteries are, of course, related to the global pandemic known as COVID-19.
The straits are dire: more than 1.7 million US citizens sick and nearly 100,000 dead, a failing economy, the absence of compassion and leadership at the national level.
So, what to do?
The most common perspective is from the First Floor, the ground level, where the action and impact is literally in our face.
The First Floor is the domain of fight or flight. It’s where we can see only so far—maybe to the next store front or alley—as we search for a way out.
The First Floor is where we see only chaos, where we feel lost and out of control.
But now imagine, in a
Matrix sort of way, that a glass elevator suddenly appears in front of you.
Desperate, you get on and press an “up” button.
The elevator rises. You gain a new perspective. You are able to look down on the chaos that seems to be descending below your feet. But, in truth, it is
you who are
rising above.
The elevator stops at the Fiftieth Floor. You get out and discover that you are, actually, on the rooftop.
You walk to the border wall that prevents you from falling back into the chaos.
You look down on where you were a few moments ago. From here, the figures who confronted you down there look small—even insignificant.
You wonder, “Is that real? Is where I am real?”
But, of course, the action below is not insignificant. And it is real, especially for those still caught in it, for those who haven’t yet found the elevator.
The action below on the First Floor is also significant for you. For, without it, you would not appreciate the fact that you are now on the Fiftieth Floor. The contrast is intense.
And that brings us back to the title of D’Ann’s book.
Life’s Healing Setups: Guidance to transform struggles into peace and live beyond your ego
A
setup is a seemingly unsolvable situation. It is puzzling, challenging. But when we overcome—and we shall—we
heal.
Guidance can come from gaining a new perspective. That’s the Fiftieth Floor from where we can scope out the horizons … and the future.
Transformation begins with our decision to follow guidance.
Struggles. Yes, they are there. Transformation isn’t easy. It involves change. “Oh, my God. No! Not change!”
Take a breath. If you’re reading this, you’re still alive. You still have a future. You still have options. You still have hope. And resilience too.
You have a desire for
peace of mind
.
And all of those are gifts.
What are you going to do with your gifts?
Get back on the elevator and ride it back down into the chaos?
Or cast your gaze around and look for solutions, for new ways of thinking and being?
What do you see in the way of solutions? Maybe a way to
live beyond your ego.
Ego? What does my sense of self-esteem or my personal identity have to do with the coronavirus?
Well, a lot, really.
Your self-esteem and personal identity, linked to your desire for safety, motivated you to hop on that elevator.
Before that, your value for yourself motivated you to isolate and wear a mask in public. To preserve your life.
And now, on the Fiftieth Floor, where the air is fresh, your sense of worth is motivating you to seek a better way to live.
Am I talking fairy tales here?
No, I’m talking about taking our Hero’s and Heroine’s Journey, ...
Which begins with crossing a threshold from the known “normal” into the unknown.
There, we encounter challenges (the coronavirus) …
With determination, we move through the abyss of despair (potential disease and death) …
We transform (ride the elevator up) …
And we return, but only to find that the world we once knew no longer exists, the old normal is gone.
What to do?
Create a “new normal” for both our individual selves and our national and global societies. A new world where the ego no longer rules. A new world of positive humanity in which cooperation, compassion, and love are universally given and mutually shared.
Is that possible? Yes, although it’s very hard to envision from within the depths of “the unknown.”
Is it probable? That depends on us. Do we complete the Hero’s and Heroine’s Journey? Or not?
Next blog: Spontaneous Evolution
~~~~~ ~~~~~
Thank you for caring. Thank you for reading my stories.
God blesses everyone ... no exceptions.
Robert (Bob) Weir
