Discovery

In order for a light to work, there must be:

a power source

an operator who understands the light's function and purpose

If a person from pre-electricity and battery times came to visit the "modern" world, and saw a lamp, he or she would not have any framework in which to understand and operate a lamp. It is something we take for granted as a part of our life.

I was thinking about this as I fumbled in the dark to turn on the light. I knew it was a light, to start. I assumed it was already plugged into a power supply, and that it had a working bulb. It was info that was all inherent in my looking for a switch that I somehow knew was there - somewhere - as I felt around for it in the dark.

I wonder how much of what we know and think we know limits or empowers us. Knowing what I know, I would be empowered in a way somene who did not know what I know would be. But knowing what I know may have the potential to limit me within a different context.

How much of life is spent fumbling in the dark for a switch? It means we have access to the info that  empowers us, but it alone is not enough. We must do something to give that info a power source. And we are not directly providing the power source, we are plugging into it - into what is already there for a particular purpose and function. It is also something that is created in a way that we cannot understand or replicate in our own - at least not without some study of how it works and a pulling together of the things that make it work. 

There are things we don't know until we know them. And there are things we may never know - unless we seek to know them. And just because we know something it does not mean we understand it.

And yet, the light that I cannot create, from a power source that I am at the moment unable to replicate gives me what I need to do what I need to do. Someone else's understanding has given me this gift. I do not need to understand something to have an appreciation for it.

This journey of mine with cancer has many pieces I do not understand, but I can appreciate the shining light of many of those I meet. They may have something that I plug into and can benefit from. So many have told me along the way that they would pray for me. Twice it has happened on the spot - once at the beach and another time at a Subway.

I have been open to the goodness that can shine through/from others along the way. I may not fully understand the Power Source that we are plugged into, but I am appreciative of it, and can benefit from it. 

I am not a religious person. I am, however, a person who believes that there is a bigger picture to the world we think we know. If there wasn't, how would we find ourselves in places previously unknown? It may have seemed unknown, but it was only unknown to us.The places always existed, we just had to make our way there.

It makes me wonder where else I could go. It makes me wonder what else there is to discover. I feel very much plugged into a purpose right now, even if I do ot quite understand what is happening, or why. I just hope that when I return to the things I have to deal with in a week, or so, I stay plugged in. I am trying not to think about the stuff that I need to return to, but it is there, undeniably floating in the background.

The reality of my life these last few weeks is nothing like the reality and fearful place I came from. I hope I have learned enough to be able to go back from where I came and be able to create something new around it. The feeling of anxiety I get has me wonder if I have, and the feeling of wonder I feel tells me I have already been where I need to be. 

I just have to go back and live my life the way I have lived this trip. Sounds so simple, doesn't it?

By the way, as you may know, my mind wanders and questions things, and I am not even always sure what I think makes sense to me. So...if they don't to you, I won't be surprised. My life has been about a lot of things, including asking lots of questions. There are times I may go around in circles as my inner GPS looks to get me where I need to go. The cool thing is that I eventually get to some awesome places.

Thanks for spending some of your time with me while I take this trip. Have a great day. I am probably go to Red Rock this morning. Not sure what I will do later, and am already wondering about sticking around for a bit longer than anticipated. Radio show at 4:00 Eastern today. WorldofPerspectiveRadio.com. Hope you can come and join me and my guest. Her name is Jean, and she is a shaman I met and experienced while in New Mexico.