Werner's
space, as his friends will tell you, is as much a physical
place as it is a context, a way of being. Alternatively
spoken with another degree of
rigor,
it's the result - almost magical - of a particular way
of being. Not everyone is going to have access to the physical
place. That's to be expected. Not everyone is going to have access
to my physical place either. But that doesn't imply any
exclusivity. It's simply the way the dice roll in our
associations with one another. Everyone, on the other hand, has
equal and unrestricted access to the context, to the way of
being.
There's nothing that's not immaculate in here. This is the place
where being impeccable is the bottom line. Ordinarily
that's above us, unreachable, even sterile. But in here it's
the norm. In here it's the epitome of joy, radiance, and it defines
and provides the platform for who we really are. This place
isn't cleaned traditionally with brooms and mops. In here we clean
by taking who we are and putting it into the space.
That's the way this place stays pristine.
There's a deep respect for the arts in here. The library is well
stocked (and well read). Sensible works of art, many of them in the
minimalistic
Zen
style with sweeping thick bold brush strokes, strategically hang on
clean bare walls. Occasionally Italian opera (not to mention the
best of today's rock 'n roll) resound from superfine
Bose speakers. Even the log in the fireplace is
carefully aligned.
The shag rug is raked a certain way. That's right:
raked! The pillows on the sumptuous leather armchairs
are arranged exactly. And it doesn't matter why
the pillows are arranged this way. Arranging them this way
works. If you don't arrange pillows this way, you don't get
to arrange pillows at all - at least not in here. But what's
more interesting than why shag rugs should be raked or
why pillows should be arranged exactly is
the way you have to be in here to rake rugs and to
arrange pillows. There's no margin in here for expediency. There's
no margin in here for going through the motions. In here you
get to be impeccable and you get to be immaculate because the rules
of this space have been set up to demand you be this way. In here,
being impeccable and being immaculate aren't chores. They're
opportunities.
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