Mouse trap…

“If you have come to help me,

you’re wasting your time,” she told them,

“But if you have come because your liberation is bound with mine,

then let us work together…”

That,

in essence,

was what Rocky had been saying all along…

Watching him move with Lyndsey under the clear blue sky,

I realized that actively trying to fix the world and everyone in it wasn’t the surest path to freedom…

Quite often it led to hubris,

disconnection,

and attempts to control those deemed less fortunate “for their own good”…

True freedom,

it seemed to me that luminous October afternoon,

arose from the courage to feel,

the willingness to be vulnerable,

and the humility to appreciate the wisdom all living beings have to offer…

In such an atmosphere of mutual respect,

compassion,

and sensitivity,

no one was likely to be abused or enslaved…

— in Riding Between the Worlds by Linda Kahanov

A few years ago,

for the intents and purposes of investigating,

my being called,

to a potential district,

I went to meet with a principal,

and spend the morning in his school…

I’d been told,

He’s so spiritual…

Just like you…

Let me set things up…

I don’t think about myself as being spiritual,

but I find that label,

among other things,

is a common projection,

other people place upon me…

And just because someone goes to workshops,

has the right books on his shelves,

and coaches with a blue tooth,

does not mean he embodies spirit,

or courage…

Just put Mr. Spiritual in the same space,

as a horse,

or a Kindergarten student,

and watch the shrapnel fly…

I wasn’t in that school more than thirty minutes,

when,

in the computer lab,

which should have been an art studio,

an educational support worker stood beside me,

and said,

I’ve always used telepathy with my students,

especially the ones who are on the autism spectrum…

I asked her how she’d figured that out…

She said,

It comes naturally when you’re trying to reach,

a person,

who is non-verbal…

But you have to be open to it…

I said,

Basically a no-brainer…

She said,

Exactly…

I said,

Does your principal know about this???

She said,

Are you kidding???

I said,

Do you talk about it with anyone on staff???

She said,

I allude to it,

but if you use that word,

people look at you,

like you’re a spoon bender…

I said,

Or the man they call Raveen???

She said,

Or worse…

I didn’t ask her why,

she felt like,

she could mention,

her different kind of talking,

with me,

being a perfect stranger and all,

because I got the message…

In the park last weekend,

at the Harvest Festival,

a neighbour asked me if my name was Sharon,

and when I said,

Let’s not bother with names,

he said something like,

Oh, you must be,

one of those people,

who like to relate,

on the level of essence,

Are you in a spiritual line of work???

I answered,

I don’t know anything,

about what you are talking about…

I’m simply a human being,

taking a ride on the old soul train…