Watching Life

Once I watched an exciting past episode of Lost with a friend who also enjoys it, but who couldn’t stop thinking about it as he watched it. An action scene begins, and he shouts, “No way! The water wouldn’t have risen that high!” or “I really doubt Kate would’ve said that; that was off.” Fine. But that’s looking at the show, interpreting it, critiquing it—not experiencing it. He’s enjoying it in a certain way, but I wonder if he wouldn’t enjoy it more to simply enter the world that’s presented on screen for 45 minutes, and leave the analysis aside until the end credits. (I know I do!)

I find myself in an episode that’s going on 24 hours a day, every day. It’s there for me to enjoy every minute, whether that means laughing, crying, complaining, or sleeping.

For me at least, it’s turning out that there’s nothing very mystical about “mysticism” after all. It’s just the desire to experience reality, nothing more.

6 thoughts on “Watching Life

  1. I wrote a little something the other day that seems to echo the sentiment in your posting:”We touch the Sacred most directly and most profoundly in the ordinary, the everyday, the common place, in the face that is before us and in the task at hand. When we can see this and understand this and open ourselves to this way of being, we will find life a wondrous journey filled with radiance, hope and meaning.”

  2. That is very true, and very beautiful, Al. There is more of the Gospel and Dharma in helping someone jump-start their car than in a thousand sermons.

  3. Hi,
    I was watching some many episodes of Lost on one weekend, and then lost the interest to Lost for a while. Now have to start again.Hope will complete some day

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