FootprintsintheWind.com

Write a dialogue with Death.

:- Doug.

There is a second way that in the Internet there is no here here: almost every place we visit links to some other place. We never arrive.

Which raises a question: is the Internet a new metaphor for our lives, or an old one? Is it all new and shiny, or is it an artifact of the human mind, a mirror held up to show those who look, something about humanity?

:- Doug.

When you walk in this door, I encourage you to take off your mask, if ever you are going to do it in your life.

:- Doug.

I’m charmed! To have found my princess after only meeting two or three others.

:- Doug.

Something different today.

:- Doug.

Every day different.

:- Doug.

Emerging and merging are part of something larger, like inspiration and expiration are part of respiration.

:- Doug.

Together is equally as important as individuation.

:- Doug.

The sea parts
arises an individual
standing out
—but for a time—
then this one merges
back into the great flow
the greater one

:- Doug.

Tasks are a useful place for goals
Purposes go beyond
To broader, longer,… and deeper

:- Doug.

At 45, you revel in how great you are: at 70, in how you are falling apart.

:- Doug.

What does it mean to an elder to be lonely? Does it mean to be abandoned by family and friends? To have spouse and children die?

Does it mean to have friends unable to get over to visit? Does it mean friends who can no longer hear, nor see, nor remember? Does it mean to be angry with them for abandoning you?

Does it mean not being able to communicate with younger people because they do not know the things your knew, they know things you’ve never heard of, you cannot hear them when they talk so fast?

Does it mean it is difficult to reach out to people you know, people you don’t know? Does it mean it is difficult, takes almost too much effort to volunteer to help in some small way? Does it mean that your help is more effort and bother for the other volunteers? Does it mean you don’t want to be a burden?

What is a burden? Is it a burden for you to find ways to be a joyful burden to someone else?

Is it easier for you to feel sorry for yourself and just turn inward? Is it an effort to move past turning inward to greeting a likely younger person with a smile?

Is this some of what it means to be an elder and be lonely?

:- Doug.

How do you share your wisdom with younger generations? How do you first find it? What does it mean to you to not only harvest your wisdom but to express it?

:- Doug.

What we want is not so much to believe in some hero or savior, as to have others believe in us.

:- Doug.

What would an elder’s fairy tale teach? Would it end happily ever before?

:- Doug.

Some people come out of childhood distrusting everyone. This politician is one: so this politician calls forth the distrust among the electorate. But this politician conceals from them that this politician distrusts the electorate. This politician will throw them over the first time they disappoint this politician.

:- Doug.

Twice the heat for half as long will not produce bread.

:- Doug.

When tempted to contradict
I will recall
The larger embrace:
Resist not—
Open heart

:- Doug.

The world is conversation
not simply in conversation
a spinning together
a together turning
one appearing appearing many

:- Doug.

Humanity is among.

:- Doug.

We’ve been to two 50-year high school class reunions, and I for one have no desire for more reunions. We, as well as others there, were looking for people we knew, and there were few of those, rather than ones we had yet to meet, and there were many more of those.

:- Doug.

What if we had fairy tales for elders, which told the story of development when least expected?

:- Doug.

We are advancing our desires
beyond individuation and independence
toward together in interdependence

:- Doug.