Whilst wandering about Spain and Portugal may seem like practical activity, in another sense the whole adventure has been a retreat, albeit in motion ... lots of reflection, examining thoughts, meeting many different characters fleetingly, wondering where the "I" actually is when not interacting with another ... and if we may divide the spiritual path into theory and practice, returning to Stanhope and the projects is mostly practising ... though there is plenty of space for early sitting (confusingly, also known as practice), reading ("Who Am I? And If So, How Many", a timely find ... a return to Jack Kornfield's classic, "After the Ecstasy, the Laundry" ... novels also offering insights) and walking the hills ...no bad weather there, just the wrong clothes ... and winter gear has increased the amount of stuff owned, maybe double the rucksack load ...
Patiently preparing two projects, teasing out the networks needed, seeking out the key collaborators ("Everyone Dreams but Projects take Teams") and establishing the necessary tools for the business plans ... a trip to the city for a laptop, finding a warm place to work (which turns out to be the bedroom) the two properties considered both on the market now for a couple of years and maybe quite a few months more before the visions settle into new forms ... maybe some blog editing for the long awaited book ...
Meanwhile, recognising a tendency to hermitude, invitations accepted for cultural activity ... the Tempest at the Gala, live screened from Stratford; football at Newcastle, ads from sponsors Sports Direct and Wonga prominent all round and indicative of the sorry mess professional football in general and Newcastle United FC in particular are in ... 52,000 in attendance at no small cost for rather meagre fare, as new Messiah Rafa Benitez and previous manager MacLaren squeeze the play into central zones to limit space for excitement and danger, 1-0 and 3 points all that is required ... in a more exciting era, another Messiah, Keegan or King Kevin, took the view that scoring more goals than the opposition was the best way to play ... in the modern game, ruled by fear, the idea is that if they don't score, we don't lose ... so there, amidst the circuses to distract us, sits a metaphor for Life ...
As for the dramas awaiting as projects unfold, the art is playing the part without taking it personally ... avoiding the ego games wherever possible, appealing to higher sensibilities ... neither project representing anything but mutual benefit in the community ... and not attached to outcomes for either in the end ... let's see!
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