Friday Night at 8: A Nickle’s Worth of Visions

fortune teller

We’re headed into the dog days of summer, so no matter how rapidly events seem to appear it doesn’t matter, still have to go sloooooowwwwwww.

I read somewhere in ancient Chinese lore about a soldier, he was a general, I think, some big honcho in the court of the Emperor of the time, with all that power, subject to all that intrigue and anyway, the reign of that particular Emperor ended and the soldier had to flee the palace.  From various oracles and just his own intiution and supposed political genius, he knew someone would come along to restore the dynasty but it would be like 40 years or something until that happened.

So the soldier found a place to go fishing.

When he was in his 70s the young man came along who he was supposed to teach, a young man who would end up being emperor.

Well I may have this story all wrong, but that’s how I remember it, and who’s to say something like that never happened?

I think about that fellow, having to combine utter and complete military readiness while at the same time practicing extraordinary patience, the balance he had to strike to be ready for that one brief time in his life, when his work would be called for.

That level of awareness is, to me, indistinguishable from magic.

To be aware of the seasons and the earth and the great movements of the universe that you can no more control than a fly could drive a tractor, yet be aware as well of the shifting tides of human endeavor and your place in that endeavor.  Now that must be some feeling.

And not only to be aware but to be able to act with that awareness in a way that endures.

So the soldier in the story was able to do all that.

Well I don’t think we have to wait 40 years.  Frankly, even someone of my limited political and strategic abilities knows it’s all happening now, as I write this, really transformative times.

But still that kind of awareness resonates with me when I think about it and think about these times we are going through.  In the USofA summer is reaching its zenith and it’s not slow because nothing is happening but because very much is happening.  The harvest is about to appear.

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This was a long week.  Happy Friday to everyone.

6 comments

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  1. he also got to get REALLY good at both catching fish.

    So he’s got that going for him.

    Which is nice.

    • Robyn on July 18, 2009 at 02:46

    And if it wasn’t one, it probably should have been.

  2. /jk

    But in between all the splatters there was a bit like that.

    Also like a dozen other ancient martial art movies that my son bought and forced me to sit through. I always liked those master student parts though. The old guy with the beard down to the ground.

    Let it flow!

    • Edger on July 18, 2009 at 03:10

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