A Separate Reality

I was just wondering about those that have a firm grasp on reality. Just where exactly do they grab it? It is a slippery thing this reality. I have never really been able to be sure whether my reality and the rest of the world’s reality were/are the same thing.

Carlos Castaneda wrote a book called “A Separate Reality”. Louise and I each had a copy of this book and when it came up in conversation we would say in unison “We each have our own Separate Reality”. We thought that the play on words was hilarious, perhaps that is one reason we get along so well, but to date no one else even thinks it is cute. We pull it out every few years just to test it, but I guess it still isn’t funny. In the book Carlos was the disciple of Don Juan who was a master of his life, this world and the next. That is the reality, which is referred to in the title.

I don’t always fit in with the rest of humanity. I wonder how many millions or billions of people say that on a daily basis? I get along quite well with the rest of you, but I feel, “distanced” from you, and believe I am more of an observer than participant. Anyways, Carlos was learning to control his reality and to manipulate it to a degree, generally with the use of Peyote. This book was very popular in the seventies and for us aging hippies the thought that the road to enlightenment could be travelled with the use of drugs and hallucinations was just too good to be true.

I did travel the path, or at least followed it for a time. I found that for me true enlightenment comes by living the best life that you can and treating people with respect and understanding. Well, not the assholes of course! Okay, I have a ways to travel on the path still. It is the Golden Rule that will bring true happiness. The great religions and belief systems all say the same thing. We should treat others as we wish to be treated. Pretty simple really, don’t screw the other guy over! Play win/win. When you find a wallet, return it. If someone needs help, then help. In the words of the great Aretha Franklin R-E-S-P-E-C-T.

I don’t think it is possible to attain true enlightenment on this plane of existence. Most of us just don’t care about the other guy, we just want ours. When a beloved pet dies we are devastated for days, weeks, months and more. In 2004 on Boxing Day 230,000 Indonesian people died in a tsunami. Horrible tragedy, but we went on shopping, eating left over turkey and feeling good about our charitable donations at Christmas. Maybe we gave to tsunami relief, but it came at an inopportune time as most of us had spent all of our discretionary income. We aren’t bad people, we are just human and we live in this reality, on this plane of existence.

We are as good as we can be and still be alive.

I guess I am having trouble with my place in the world today. I hope that you have a nice comfortable place with people to love and that love you.