This essay,
Ordinary Life Extraordinary Commitment,
is the companion piece to
Intergalactic Dude.
I am indebted to Kihā "Billy" Pimental who inspired this
conversation.
My life
is ordinary. I'm slightly overweight. I no longer try to hide the
unwanted bulge of my belly. I live in a nice cottage which I don't
sweep or dust often enough (my car needs a wash too). I enjoy watching
"reality" TV and
music videos
of golden oldies. I like comparing prices in the supermarket and
getting the best deals.
I'm committed to the miraculous. I'm committed to who we really are - I
mean, to who we really are, like pure context, like
Life itself, like the possibility of possibility, like
we're
god
in our universe. As long as I can remember, I've known who I really
am. Waking up in the morning and just being alive is usually enough for
me. It makes me happy. It brings wonder. Not all people live this way.
It was many years before I, in my naïve innocence, realized why I,
being blind to that, was out of step with the general populace. Now,
having completed this for myself,
who I am
comes forth naturally into the world. I'm committed to your
commitment.
I don't always have what I want, but somehow I have what I need. I
dream about moving to Hawai'i, living on the beach and surfing every
day. I'm slightly frustrated that I'm not there right now.
I live inside a self-generated paradigm which allows everything
including inconsistencies to be the way it is and the way it isn't. If
I notice something is inconsistent, I examine its source and I put in
corrections. Being inconsistent isn't wrong. But arguably, noticing
inconsistencies and not putting in corrections, is playing
small.
I notice I'm attached to looking good in whatever I do. I justify it by
saying it's a good advertisement for transformation. Lately I've come
to realize that the best advertisement for transformation, is having
the courage to share
who I am
and what's happening in
my lifeexactly as it occurs regardless of whether it looks good,
or not. Whatever is going on, is just
what's so.
Interestingly enough,
what's so
is closer to the miraculous than any opinion that this doesn't look
good, could
ever be.
Occasionally I don't live what I stand for. I ascribe that to being
human. I'm not particularly interested in continuing doing what I'm
doing when I'm not living what I stand for. Like being inconsistent,
not always living what I stand for isn't wrong either. But when I
notice I'm not living what I stand for, I put in corrections. I
communicate apologies if they're what's needed. I regard 'fessing up to
my errors, to be the act of a big person - not to mention
essential if life is to move on.
It's clear to me if I don't invent new possibilities, nothing
extraordinary will happen, and I'll continue to live my
same old same
old
ordinary life, just getting by (I'm good at coping). I'm
committed to creating the future by looking at what's not working, then
inventing new possibilities for myself and
my life.
When I do that, extraordinary things happen. I'm committed to inventing
the possibility of communication, transformation, and freedom, and I'm
committed to sharing it in a way that's easily available to everyone.
The world provides ample evidence of what things look like when there's
not enough of that available ie when there's too little of it.
Once in a while I like an ice cold beer. Perhaps I don't read enough.
I eat healthily but I'm no gourmet chef. I procrastinate. I like
listening to the radio in my car. Sometimes I forget to floss.