Random comments

Diana writes about the little cracks of space that open around labeling. And that is how it is for people, mostly. Something that you have never noticed, or never stopped to question, or accepted at face value, becomes open to space, and there is a sense of freedom, of other possibilities. I do think that once this insight begins to dawn, the TSK books become more accessible, as she suggests.

Michael’s comment reminded me of a movie I saw recently, a very fine movie that disappeared without a trace, called “Starting out in the Evening.” The main character is a novelist, and at one point he describes his method as follows: “I follow my characters around and wait for them to do something interesting.” The problem is that the characters we follow around (our thoughts . . . the self) very seldom do anything interesting. In Michael’s terms, they seldom form strong intentions, strong enough to act on. No space opens up.

As David writes, the self at the center renews and re-establishes itself. “But surely there are real wants and real needs? Surely David really does need to find a job?” Yes and no. I don’t want to say more, because it is a big topic, and also because saying more is not as important as appreciating both yes and no. “Swimming in the music of my own telling” is a lovely phrase.

Arthur turns to DTS Ex. 9 and how the distance between objects falls away. Is distance itself a story? Is there that connection between Ex. 21 and Ex. 9? A subtle “protecting and projecting?”

I would be interested in how the therapists in our group, like Arthur, react to exercise 21 in comparison to therapy. But perhaps that is not a topic of interest.

Jack