Up you go….then down you go! Round and round hanging from ropes. Upside down. Drums and whistles. Along the malecon in Chapala.
Debbie contributed photos and here are some thoughts from Steve…..
GOOD NEWS
Many spiritual paths talk about the oneness of life, the oneness of all people, plants, animals, earth, rocks, the heavens. I recently interviewed a traveler and scientist in Mexico, who had lived in the jungles of Malaysia , Ireland, Canada, Hong Kong and now near a volcanic lake in Mexico. His experience was that we are much more alike than we are different . In fact, he said, I believe that we are all one!
Life and culture teaches us to make divisions. It’s called dualistic thinking. Such as: rich/poor good/bad winning/losing success/failure. For example, One of my relatives once told me what a failure I’ve been in life. seems like I hadn’t had a successful career that provided me with a lot of material goods in his eyes.
In more indigenous traditions such as the Navajo anyone who has acquired too much is a failure because life is about sharing with your neighbor.
Recently I watched a fantasy movie about the end of the world ……a gigantic meteor was about to arrive in nine months, and all of humanity would be killed with 100% certainty.
How did people respond? Some people took off all their clothes and walked around naked, others dressed in elaborate bizarre costumes, some took cruises around the world, others jumped out of airplanes with parachutes, or had sex with whomever ….. almost everyone stopped going to work.
There was only one work place left …..highly secretive and it was called THE DISTRACTION. People who went there were given a lot of busywork on computers. They stayed employed as long as they agreed not to talk about the fact they were just doing busywork, and as long as they didn’t relate to others, or have any kind of personal relationships.
Our heroine, a mousy woman named Carol, dreamed of connection, conversation, relationship, and community, and when she began gathering people in an abandoned Applebee’s to talk and be together the wheels of DISTRACTION began to go off the rails …her dream manifestation began to take the company down.
The longing for community is real. We have found much community in the Gringos of Mexico together with the Mexicanos. They have a lot to offer one another.
In the United States. it is do-able to have wonderful connections But in general the larger culture is fearful, and that fear creates divisions around right and wrong and good and bad.
In Mexico, the government rarely supports the people and the majority of people depend on family and community. The dysfunction of a Third World government creates an ideal place for the joys of community. Many of the expats here find solace in the community around Lake Chapala. It is not perfect, but it feels good.
Wherever we are in the world, there are psychic bombs going off, sometimes constantly!!! As an antidote we must continue to dream of loving connection and relationship,
Eventually our longings will find their place in the world and will diminish the power of the darker forces such as greed, control, pride, self-importance and fear.
Just something to ponder 🤔
Steve & Debbie’s Grand Adventure 