380
Do you like living on the lake?
There are times when I like lake living.
Such as?
When the moon is adjacent to Venus and when the rest of the galaxy seems unperturbed.
Sounds relaxing.
Yes, it is, and it's during those times when my soul is adrift, not tied to Earth, but a free mover on a celestial wave.
381
Today I sensed palpitations in Mother Earth.
What was it like?
It was like being in a three-star restaurant when the contents of a
tour bus is emptied into it.
Any other comparisons come to mind?
One does. It was like being trapped in the bowels of a college football stadium on a Saturday afternoon in the Fall.
What do you think they were?
The palpitations?
Yes.
I don't know but I suspect Mother Nature will have to tell us.
382
I have no intention of turning back.
But you must not go into the city. The Revolutionaries will put you into prison.
Why should they?
Because of your inflammatory remarks at last night's seaside banquet.
You mean the part about 'sharing the load as we build the road'? I thought it was rather catchy.
It was but there were some elements that resented your casual manner of speaking. You appeared too relaxed.
I suppose you're right.
We're glad you see it our way.
383
There are spies among us.
How do you know this?
Because I have read all of Graham Greene's novels and thus am an expert on the subject.
Any empirical evidence?
Yes. Furtive glances, trench coats, beautiful women, and secret handshakes. They are everywhere.
But is any of it relevant?
Probably not, but that doesn't lessen my suspicions.
384
Did you hear that door open?
Perhaps. There was a sound that I couldn't quite make out.
It was a door.
How can you be sure?
Because I'm no longer totally here. Part of me has left this place.
Where is that part going?
To find yet another part.
385
Best to be truthful.
Easier said than done.
For those of us who are neither great builders nor great thinkers, all we have is our allegiance to truth.
How do we know truth?
Whether our journey is false or true, our destination is the same.
386
Where does it all go?
It's a matter of consumption. There's a hungry beast out there, whose appetite is never satisfied, whose thirst is never quenched. But it's not all bad. Because without that hunger we would live in a static universe.
But consumption is a form of destruction.
Sometimes destruction comes before creation.
387
Which morning do you remember best?
The morning I sighted land.
Were you sailing across the ocean?
No, but I was traversing a wide sea. But it was not a sea of water.
What kind of sea was it?
It was one of human debris; leftovers of careless lives fueled by selfish ambition and thoughtless endeavors.
388
One of our deepest fears is of being old and regretting the past.
You mean the things we would change but can't.
Yes, and to mitigate that fear, some believe that what happened was inevitable.
Pre-destination?
Sort of, I suppose, but no one admits to believing in pre-destination while life is happening. Only when we look back with regret do we find consolation in such a belief.
389
Sorry if I seem distracted.
Has the cold weather got you down?
There's nothing to fear from the cold.
Then what is it?
It's a feeling that my energy will never be a match for my lethargy.
We all wind down.
Maybe we need to slow the revolutions. Maybe slower is better.
390
Our boundaries are all the same.
But yet there's room to grow.
Sweating blood is the trick.
Will that blood enrich the soil?
No, but it might keep the earth from falling apart.
391
Each day brings us closer to the end.
The end of what?
The end of the metaphorical road.
How will this impact us?
It will set us free from the restraints of our imagination.
Will anything then hold us back?
Only the farthest distances.
392
The night sky is full of luminaries. The unseen ones are the brightest.
Is contact with them possible?
It would seem so but the present means of communication are all inadequate to the task.
Can we still 'break through to the other side'?
Probably not.
393
They are running away at speeds beyond belief.
How can they move so fast?
They have re-invented themselves, along lines of spatial nonconformity.
Can someone moving that fast stop?
Only if they run into a brick wall.
394
I'm curious to know what your travel plans might be.
I plan to walk in circles.
That won't take you very far.
It will take me as far as I want to go.
395
The master speaks at the break of dawn.
Will you be there?
If my shoes are in working order.
Have you been having trouble with them?
From time to time. They tend to shrink when it turns chilly.
You need new shoes.
I would prefer new feet.
396
How do you experience life?
As both is and isn't.
What do you mean?
Is is what I better than partially grasp. Isn't is what I fractionally perceive or what I have suspicions about.
Is it spiritual in some way?
I can't answer that. But it is real.
397
Timetables must be met.
Like the rising and setting of the sun.
The future holds those things and more.
What will be lost?
Change does not mean lost. It just means another way of doing things.
What do we hope for?
Change without change.
398
That wall seems pretty solid.
I disagree. It's full of holes.
Are you talking about the wall or an idea?
The wall is an idea. If it wasn't, you would see the holes also.
399
You seem to be of two minds lately.
How did you notice?
You have that vacant, distracted look.
I didn't realize it was so obvious.
400
Ever wonder what'll we see when the dust clears?
A new horizon?
More likely it'll be the old horizon. It'll seem new I guess.
Is each man's horizon the same?
Yes. It's God's also.
401
The world is passing us by.
Doesn't that happen to everyone as they grow older?
I suppose. But wouldn't it be nice to catch a wave?
You mean a wave of the future?
Or the past
402
No more ultimatums.
Are you stepping down from the throne?
Yes. At least for the time being.
How will you spend your time?
Being.
403
Is there one God?
Not a bad supposition.
Wonder why some think there are more than one?
The more the merrier?
How droll.
But yet true.
404
Is sunshine the answer?
It's the only one after a prolonged period of rain.
How do we know when the sun will shine again?
When we feel warmth at the back of our necks and when our shoulders feel unburdened.
405
No excuse for rudeness.
Even when the service is bad?
Even then we should be cordial.
Tough to do.
It should be tougher not to do.
406
There are conceptions that are not the result of perceptions.
When where do they come from?
To know the answer would be a perception.
407
Does anyone really know what's going on?
Does anyone really want to know?
A few perhaps.
Who are these few?
Seekers.
Seekers of truth?
No, just a few souls with time on their hands.
408
You make a fine omelet; tasty and filling.
Thanks, just something I picked up while serving in the army.
Well, they say an army marches on its stomach.
Better than marching on its hands.
409
Sometimes things seem out of order.
It's a complex organization.
So it's normal for things not to flow properly?
No.
410
The sun is terrible in its brightness. You'll go blind if you stare at it too long.
Then what good is it?
Its goodness or badness doesn't matter. All that matters is that it's there. And so whether we want to or not we must learn to live with it.
But it's not always there. Where does it go?
No one knows but when it goes away we close our eyes and when it comes back we reopen them.
Have you ever noticed that when it's gone there is less warmth and less light? Could the absence of the sun in any way be related to those factors?
What a ridiculous thought! The sun is in the sky, aloof and unapproachable. How could it be responsible for the light and warmth in our lives?
Yes, of course, how silly of me.
411
What made you decide to visit now?
Nothing in particular. Just got tired of waiting, I suppose.
Why not sooner?
I was hoping you might develop some creature comforts, such as central heat and air and automatic dishwashing.
Still a couple of thousand years away.
Yea, I know.
GO to UNIt XXI
