Wednesday: May 24, Chapter 24: The Ongoing Trance

THE ONGOING TRANCE
Farmers’ Market, people out strolling around, listening to music, buying fresh food (some, though most stuffing their faces with pizza, popcorn or corndogs). Mouths open for food. Mouths open to talk. How you doing? This is happening. That is happening. Isn’t it lovely? Kids running around. Music playing. More food. More mouths. More talking.

All great, with a minor detail: it’s all being done in a trance. Awareness of feet on ground? Awareness of the other person’s voice, or our voice:? Awareness of our posture? Awareness of our footsteps? Awareness of the light in the sky? Awareness of which ear is hearing the sound? Awareness of waiting to look inside and see if we can come up with something other than the same old set of words to say? Awareness of our talking to get attention? Awareness of our interrupting others? Awareness of our agenda as we talk? Awareness of what we are seeing as we talk? Awareness of gravity and breathing as we listen? Awareness of our skeleton holding us up? Awareness of how we go to where we are standing or sitting?

Oh, well. It feels good. It’s outdoors. It’s away from the television. It’s out of the car. It’s out of the schedule. It’s a start.
And what’s next?

Time is for beginners. Breath is for finishers. This is a beginning: taking some time outdoors, with others, out of the busy thing. Next: can we come to market and remember ourselves?

What a shocking idea. What would it be like to be really awake in yammer land? Tune in and find out.

Or not.