Another long weekend come and gone, this one seemed to escape quicker than the others though.
I was blessed to have Jo and Sharon visit me in Coventry this weekend – how wonderful! We spent our days lazing and grazing in Memorial Park chatting to each other and listening to the birds singing their own songs. We roamed a bit around the cathedral and cathedral ruins – then went to this Spirit Fair in the church – it was refreshing to see Christianity mixing and merging with other holistic and alternative spiritualities.
Looking back on my weekend, there was a theme that kept running and resurfacing through, and I am not sure how to delve into the topic, so I will do as I usual do and just let the words flow onto the pages in whatever random order they wish.
Rebirth.
Rebirth or resurrection or awakening or whatever you may call it. Seeing something or someone for the first time in all its truth, even though it was right in front of you the whole time.
It’s like you don’t often fully appreciate the freedom that most of us have had since our childhood. Until we reach a certain age, we are dependant on our parents for nutrition, clothing, safety and love. When we start developing our own personalities, our own curiosities and our own opinions, our parents allow us to explore all these different things. We are allowed to fall, so that we can teach ourselves to rise. We are allowed to hurt, so that we can teach ourselves to heal. We are allowed to play, so that we can learn the importance of connecting with others and ourselves.
I guess sometimes our parents never full explain themselves in the way that we would understand. This is no fault of their own, they are just trying to do the best for their children. As adults and we think about some of the things our parents taught us, suddenly make sense and we can laugh about it, or cry about it, and most importantly appreciate it.
So what happens when you have not had freedom in your life? What we call freedom, could be another persons prison.
Which ‘world’ is the right world to exist in. The West and East continue to fight about this debate today. The West sees their world as one of freedom of expression and speech, democracy, just and full of opportunity. The East sees their world as one of tradition, spirit, discipline and faith. Both East and West see each other’s worlds as suppressing, controlling, corrupt, and faithless.
What is comes down to, is that everyone should be allowed the freedom…of choice.
And when you come across another that has not been able to share in this gift, you are astounded as first, but then a sense of deep sadness overcomes you. Ignorance is, indeed, bliss. We see it on tv, but it remains an image on a screen, it does not become real because the reality of it would overwhelm us too greatly. When it does become a reality – your reality – then it sets off little alarm bells in your head. You are taken back in time to your memories to reflect, remember and appreciate the good in your life.
I saw the Matrix again last night, and every time I see it, I see it in a new light. On a literal level, it seems quite straightforward. But scratch the surface, free your mind, and you will discover that the Matrix is like a metaphor for the world we live in. The Wachowski brothers probably scribbled a little P.S. note when they finished the script saying: “THINK FOR A MOMENT ABOUT YOUR EXISTENCE. What is the Matrix, you ask? Something that's closer to reality than you think.”
One of my favorite verbal exchanges is between arch enemies and nemesis’s Agent Smith and Neo when they are finally having the fight that will end all fights.
Agent Smith: Why, Mr. Anderson? Why do you do it? Why get up? Why keep fighting? Do you believe you're fighting for something? For more that your survival? Can you tell me what it is? Do you even know? Is it freedom? Or truth? Perhaps peace? Yes? No? Could it be for love? Illusions, Mr. Anderson. Vagaries of perception. The temporary constructs of a feeble human intellect trying desperately to justify an existence that is without meaning or purpose. And all of them as artificial as the Matrix itself, although only a human mind could invent something as insipid as love. You must be able to see it, Mr. Anderson. You must know it by now. You can't win. It's pointless to keep fighting. Why, Mr. Anderson? Why? Why do you persist?
Neo: Because I choose to.
So I will end this rambling of thoughts with something from Mother Teresa:
Life is an opportunity, benefit from it.
Life is a beauty, admire it.
Life is a dream, realize it.
Life is a challenge, meet it.
Life is a duty, complete it.
Life is a game, play it.
Life is a promise, fulfill it.
Life is sorrow, overcome it.
Life is a song, sing it.
Life is a struggle, accept it.
Life is a tragedy, confront it.
Life is an adventure, dare it.
Life is luck, make it.
Life is life, fight for it.
Then there are days when I feel that sometimes we need to stop analyzing the past …stop planning the future…stop trying to figure out precisely how we feel…stop deciding with our mind what we want our heart to feel and sometimes we just have to go with "whatever happens…happens".
How I love contradiction !!
Thanks Dimple Boffin and Lobelia for another inspiring and energetically, spirit fused weekend!
Peace, love and safe travels
Orangeblossom xxx
