©2017 Singin String Publishing, ASCAP
September 29, 2017
Recording Studio - Linda’s Lair, Monroe, Washington State
What if there was a way all our pain could be perceived that would make it not so painful. What if there was a way of perceiving Life and the world that made it not seem so tragic. And what if you could actually influence things around you, as if by magic? Both of my parents have died. They had long, full lives so I wasn’t overly sad they died, because that’s what we all do. Our eldest daughter, Alicia died when she was 32 of diabetes complications. Our four-month-old son, Forest Rain died of SIDS. The most painful thing in my life was getting my heart broken. When that happened I wished that I would wake up and realize it was just a bad dream, that everything would be back to normal again.
The other day I was talking to somebody on Facebook. This person had recently been through a LOT. She was talking about religious views, that sort of thing. In the context of stories of some of the ugliest things we’ve encountered in Life, I told her of a Taoist story brother Mike had shared with me in 1967, written by Chinese philosopher, Chuang-Tzu. It goes like this: “Once upon a time, I, Chuang-Tzu, dreamt I was a butterfly, fluttering hither and thither, to all intents and purposes a butterfly. I was conscious only of my happiness as a butterfly, unaware that I was Chuang-Tzu. Soon I awakened, and there I was, veritably myself again.
Now I do not know whether I was then a man dreaming I was a butterfly, or whether I am now a butterfly, dreaming I am a man.” So in response to the girl’s painful scenario, I asked her, “How do you know this is all not just a dream?” If this were all just a dream, one day we would all wake up and feel huge relief that all those horrible things hadn’t really happened. We would be so HAPPY! I’m asked often why I’m so happy in most the photos posted on Facebook. I usually say something like, “Well, we all have, every minute of every day, THE CHOICE.” Another answer is, I know a truth that is completely empowering and comforting, a truth that is so simple, so universal, it perfectly explains everything. It requires a certain amount of faith at first, but when embraced, it doesn’t take long to be proven as knowledge through the witnessing of amazing synchronicity, coincidence, and unexplainable serendipity. Bro Mike and I watch this constantly.
When we finally finish our book, BROS, we’ll tell story-after-story of instances the readers will find unbelievable. They happen to us all the time. It’s like magic. Now we are realizing that we have a lot of control as to what goes on here… a lot more than one would think.