The conversation between friends wandered into shared memories and lost friends. There was a thread with each conversation. At least one person present had a current connection with the individual in the collective memory.
It made for a recurring sequence. As we remembered a colleague and the way s/he had touched our lives, someone would ask where they were. This was a queue for one to tell the current story. In some cases the individuals had moved, growing, changing, and becoming something very different than what they were. In other cases, it was as if the memory was an accurate caricature of then and now. Not only had nothing changed, each was more like themselves than they had ever been! The shifting story lines left us with a few “oohs” and “wow” comment.
I caught myself reflecting on the way that some changed while others did not. In the main, for those unable to move on it was as if “a banana peel lands them flat on their faces – slapstick figures in a moral circus.” (Psalm 37.15) Their weaknesses then are even more obvious now. They inability to address their weakness is out on display for anyone willing to pay attention.
Even as I caught myself thinking smugly, I also caught a vision of myself in the mirror. While I have made progress, there are many areas that I have slipped on a peel, landing flat on my backside. It is a picture that I hate to admit exists, much less that I have seen it. But it does exist. I have portions of my life that are frozen in time. My advice to myself is along the following lines.
If I am going to see more than I do today, I must let go of my traditions and sacred cows.
Divinity and Compassion are bigger than I can see or imagine. Admitting is a step towards seeing more.
I have always been part of a bigger story. It is time to admit it and experience what has been a part of my life forever.
