Fun times at the mall of culture

Yep, had such an interesting time in NYC today. Ostensibly sales calls, the meetings were more like slightly odd films. I found myself listening as earnestly as I could muster to listen, but still wending through the veils of reality to find these actors still muttering on about some 'real-life' thing. It's as though we, as a society in this country (and some others, I'm certain), have become like one of those people that can't go on without some such drama in their life. I say screw that paradigm...that'll exhaust the spiritual adrenals or something....
No, I found myself thinking that my agreement with some things have changed, but in reality I think now I'm realizing the potential of higher aspiration agreements. Money is a prime example. Sing along, "money money money moooney....moooooney!" Now try this: "peanut butter jell-ay...jeeell-ay!" (For the record, that exercise served no greater purpose than to lighten you up a little bit....relax, why don't ya?) Money, we are all in relationship with it. It is a tool. I've heard it said that money merely affords us more choices, and I like that. I also saw a man today whose entire life seems to revolve around the stuff in some way, to the point that it's the only point of reference he could muster. Hmm. His labor minion, not looking him in the eye and shifting uneasily in their chairs as the meeting progressed. What an odd cast! What happened to the plot line?! I really enjoyed watching the film roll before me, and the levity I brought to the drama was warmly welcomed and appreciated. If only they knew! Cue Eroll Flynn! Their agreement with money was interesting as well, although they are a bit more coy when it comes to speaking about it (I ferreted through the gaggle of buyers after the meeting, checking for pulses).
Me? I want for my family and myself a cornucopia of choice, a veritable cascade of choices showering down over us, to swim in a deep pool of choice. Enter the money game in this world right now. Okay, I can play the money game, but here's the rub: I will not sacrifice my life for the gain of paper and coin. My agreement is that I have a family and a choice of lifestyle, and that to accommodate both I will need to earn money. Great! My new agreement also holds that I bear in mind what is real (to me) and what are distractions, illusions, mirages. I can work quite effectively within the system all the while recognizing that the wall are veils. I need to stay wary as to not become intoxicated again by imbibing that which is false around me. Most drama (when it comes to business, most certainly) is smoke and mirrors anyway, I just need to stay attuned to this as I enter the arena. I'll say this much, it makes shit so much lighter it's like a sack of grain lifted from my shoulders.
Is God cool or what? What a world! What graceful lessons!
I'll leave you with one of my personal favorites of the day. It came as I was meeting with the buyer for one of the Whole Foods down there. Time, no shit, no exaggeration whatsoever, was going so slowly, I felt as though I was entering the film for the Matrix or something, and the remarkable part of the time-bend is that it gives me time to really link up with what's going on inside me; it's as though instead of nanoseconds to respond in discussion, I've now a good 10 seconds or so to pull up what my True (key here, my True) feelings and thoughts are. It's amazing!
Anyway, so the buyer (we'll call him Eddie, because that's his name) and I were discussing how we're doing getting him fresh, local, organic produce this season, and he responded positively that the product is beautiful, fresh, the trucks are there on time regularly, it's all good.....except that silly little imp money is stealing some thunder! Ooo, that meddling monkey money! He said that he can often get local product cheaper through other distribution, citing that whereas our lettuce costs $32 a case, he's getting local lettuce from Massachussets growers for $16 a case. Time flowed like cold molasses, and I shook my head and peered mildly mournfully at the floor and replied, "Sure am glad I'm not a farmer in Massachussets..."
He got it. For a flash, and I mean truly, merely a flash, he got it and connected all the dots (maybe not all the dots, but a goodly number of dots). It was beautiful. He quickly retreated back through the veils, though, and with a numbing chuckle had left me to go back to mirage-land again, and that's okay. That's where he's comfortable, as are the vast majority of folks that have the luxury of not needing to concentrate merely on surviving the day. Heck, I go sometimes on purpose, although by God it's getting difficult to truly reach that destination anymore...and maybe that's evolution...maybe that's a good thing.
Hey, Love of God in my heart, I wish the very best for you today, e-ethers, and hope for you Peace in your heart and mind at the very core. All is God, as the back of my truck said, and I don't even pretend to try to understand much about that anymore, I just know it as a Truth, and in that comes knowledge that it's all lesson anyway. May it be so with you and yours and me and mine.