My old,
fuzzy, worn down Care Bear sat on my bed for decades. These days he has found a new seat -- on my
couch. He sits a-snuggling in the embrace of Bunny Bear, an even older relic of
days long gone.
I moved my two
old companions to this new seating arrangement so they would be an audience for
me while I host our Possible Society In Motion Radio Show. My co-host, Jack
Slattery, manages our studio way off in another state. Such is the marvel of modern technology.
So there sit
my two audience non-participants, quietly and patiently, now for more than one
year. Not much interaction but present for me, nonetheless, without one bit of
trouble.
Still I do crave
interaction. Not too much, mind you. I am a diehard introvert who, loving
people as I do, knows when too much of a good thing is just too much.
I am
discriminating, perhaps to a fault, about when, where, with whom and for how
long I join in with others. If you don’t know me well, you might be surprised
at how sparingly do I allot my time. And, believe me, I am not substituting
that sparseness of face contact for time spent on the internet. I am,
truthfully, often bored with the internet. That’s why my bears suit me so well.
They are most honoring of my taking the space I desire.
At my core I
have truly become a writer. I like nothing more than days spent in solitude with
only my writing (and nature) as a focus.
Yet I am a
tribal being by nature, as much as a lover of solitude. These two sides of
the coin in me show up like this –
When I speak
of the interactive I have a particular kind in mind; high contact-fullness, rich in the sincere devotion to open-heartedness
and mindedness, truthfulness, integrity; individual and collective
transformation. Being with others who stretch the outer limits of my humanity.
This is what
our new Sohbet/study group has brought forth.
Last week’s
Sohbet/study group is a definite case in point. Here are a few hightlights.
Thursday evening, June 5, 6:30 p.m.
Sohbet/study
group main topic: “Bedtime
on the Bus” (i.e. how a small group of devoted and willing people can move
from snags to synergy, thereby creating the magic of the Bus Ride Story
Adventure.)
Picture this scenario.
We are becoming a working forum with a small group of
people, most of whom have never laid eyes on one another. Each of us has
pledged to travel on a journey that has been recommended as a small, but profound
adventure, promising the potential for individual and collective
transformation.
In other words we are, via conference call, engaged in a
bi-weekly discussion with Murat’s
Bus Ride Story Adventure as a metaphor upon which our journey is unfolding.
The anticipated destination has been
identified as “awe.” I am the participant guide of the adventure. And, next to Sue, I am, probably, the only one
present who genuinely knows where and what
this place might be like.
We are now at Sohbet/study group #10. The program has been
going well to date.
However, in Sohbet/study group #9, May 22, 2014, I become
aware of a heightened state of reactivity in our discussion. I came away from
that group meeting somewhat challenged.
Drat. What should I do here?
We’ve got such a harmonious group forming.
Should I just let sleeping dogs lie and keep my mouth shut
about the “snag” I experienced?
I ponder. Should I be stretching my own compassion and
gratitude etc. for others; the attributes
Murat stresses as the pathway to higher humanity?
Days pass. Time nears for the next Sohbet/study group.
I decide to risk. I put myself out on a limb.
The group turns out to be intense, complicated, challenging.
But we come through with shining colors; a bit of alchemy in the process!
We have “leaned
in” to Murat’s “Bedtime
On The Bus” practice, coming away with snags moving to synergy and the
magic of the Bus Ride Story Adventure affirmed.
I am joyfully amazed!
A gentle, respectful vibration of unity has developed in our
Sohbet/study group discussion along with an abundance of patience, caring and
compassion – for me-- the provocateur!
Here’s a peek at Murat’s “Bedtime
on the Bus” tradition. Like the Twelve Step approach it centers on
self-assessment, making amends; heightened responsiveness, collectively.
Would you dare?
Check it out and see if you would risk joining a group of
unknown people for a seven day bus
ride such as this purports to be and come out so well.
