Free Fall
No rain, still. There was a prediction of a wet winter. So far, no water from the heavens. The temperature is 44 degrees fahrenheit. Today is Friday.
It feels as if everything is in free fall. Gathered with friends last evening, the conversation went from delicious green curry and naan to the failures of governments, worldwide. The way out is still not clear for those who are holding hope for humanity and life on this planet.
A change in leadership? A move to another country? A greater reliance on lucky charms and talismans? We certainly need some magic to enter the picture.
The experience of being with other people - not necessarily friends, but perhaps folk who could be friends one day - seems to be a thread. Not to go inward too far, but to go inward with others who can support whatever is going on in the mind and heart. We do this in circle, and hold space for one another so that there can be less fear about being in free fall.
When held with the right heart and spirit, it is possible to feel alright about what the unknown has to offer. We are facing many unknowns in this moment - both as individuals and as life on earth. There has been less reliance on our actual experience of one another; and much more dependence on what others have to say about the unknown - commentary and analysis about a situation, or people who are not familiar, or a community that is both close but also distant because a lack of contact and connection. Why do we trust those commentators?
Once there was a time when people worked together, learned together, and shared common experiences in daily life. But today, between the ethic of individualism, and the introduction of virtual realities, and the fact of pandemics - the result is people have less contact, fewer opportunities to meet, less of a chance to stretch their life experiences. Today, it takes clear intention and lots of energy to break free, especially if you live in a large region like Los Angeles.
There is always the option to engage by finding common interests that bring new people into one's life. Activities organized to create new "circles" that are meaningful and bring joy - like sports, dance, singing, knitting, and mahjong! It takes effort, time, and the will to move beyond self - a skill that for some, is very hard to acquire. One has to strike a balance between being alone, and being with others. The latter requires more capacity to share life energy and whether introvert or extrovert, it requires learning to convert the encounters into a very personal, usable resource. This conversion ability is key.
If one can learn the balance, then the free fall may not be so scary. It can be a pleasure to allow the mind, body, and spirit to be in a place of feeling held by the universe, rather than the structures we create for ourselves as containers for living.
Perhaps being in free fall is where the real exhilaration in living resides. Not in our routines, our structures, our imaginary safe spaces, but in the place where nothingness awaits.