A Matter of Perspective— At the West End Gallery
Have you also learned that secret from the river; that there is no such thing as time?” That the river is everywhere at the same time, at the source and at the mouth, at the waterfall, at the ferry, at the current, in the ocean and in the mountains, everywhere and that the present only exists for it, not the shadow of the past nor the shadow of the future.
― Hermann Hesse, Siddhartha (1922)
I was going to write about the absolute insanity we and the rest of the world are witnessing in the frantic and unhinged antics of the Mad King over the past few days. I even started writing it with a quote from Mahatma Gandhi at its beginning:
The only tyrant I accept in this world is the ‘still small voice’ within me. And even though I have to face the prospect of being a minority of one, I humbly believe I have the courage to be in such a hopeless minority.
I couldn’t go on with it though. I felt that I should spare you — and me, as well– the aggravation this morning. You know it. You see it. Everybody in the world can see it. My words nor those from anyone else, including the minions who attempt to make us disbelieve what we are witnessing, won’t change anything this morning.
I just need to be quiet this morning. I have work that needs to be done and need a clear mind. Need to shut things out for a while. Need to stop time, not fret about the past or worry about the future.
Just be.
Like Siddhartha’s river.
Here’s a cover of what might be my favorite Beatles song, Tomorrow Never Knows. One of the reasons it is a favorite, especially on a morning like this, comes in its first line: Turn off your mind, relax and float downstream…
It puts me instantly on Siddhartha’s river. And that’s where I need to be this morning.
This version is from the late blues singer Junior Parker. He is best known for his version of Mystery Train from the 1950’s that became an early hit for Elvis when he covered it. This is quite a departure from the blues for which he is best known. It appeared on his last album in 1971, the same year in which he died at the age of 39 from a brain tumor. Given the album title and its cover, which has that politically incorrect 1970’s feel, this is a surprisingly effective and restrained performance of the song, one that captures its essence and quietude. I still defer to the Beatles’ original version, but I found myself listening to Parker’s rendition several times this morning.
Turn off your mind, relax and float downstream…
It took me there.
Redtree Times 