“As I looked around for my possibilities”--Paul Simon, “A Hazy Shade of Winter“, Bookends
I suppose I could just as well have used the term “catalyst” instead of or along with “facilitator”, remembering both my more active music days as well as teaching and conferencing careers. The term goes along well with “possibilitarian”. And I may as well add the “creator” part for what was once a teacher, a more active musician and player, and writer and editor. Those who are possibilitarians sooner or later become ‘agents’, ‘agencies’, and forces in the lives of others, as well as their own.
I have always been interested in possibilities right from an early age, sort of an extended child who was curious about what happened if…. In particular, I have been interested always in making things happening, playing and performing, which in turn led naturally to playing music, teaching, and finally writing.
For much of my life, that possibilitarian side manifested itself in more external sorts of activity and endeavor, tangible stuff that others could see as well. There were children, ‘clearly stretched’ students and fellow teachers, songs, poems, books, a play company, a poetry trio, many shows and gigs, and so forth. Always it was about working with others, often ‘stretching’ them, offering them insights, showing them connections, and frequently revealing them and their own possibilities to themselves. Looking back, this was and has been the great unspoken drive, motivation, and purpose of my life.
I have been retired, largely, to spend more time with family, but mainly exploring my own interests and finding out more of who and what I am. It has been a very satisfying trip so far–both the past decade, and more recently the past three years, narrowing down to this past year of blogging and incredibly fulfilling writing focused on consciousness–a largely inner, spiritual trip. Things have gone very well and I am happier than I have ever been with where I’m at and who I am.
As always, it is the possibilities that interest–less ‘the work to be done’ as many, still working, would put it–but rather what new insights and understandings are to be had about a wide variety of topics, in addition to what might be possible in the presence and company of this person or that one.
One particular current interest, for example, is the connection between the external and inner, the physical with mental and spiritual. Somewhere in all of that–imagination, fantasy, metaphor, facilitation, and perhaps more depths of integration. Nature continues to intrigue, particularly the opposites of gentle stillness or peace vs. The Wild–a duality ever in process. Then there is the olde aesthetic interest in beauty whether in nature or works of art; (again, this has become more of a spiritual quest rather than a superficial retreat to some, for me former, Tennysonian Palace of Art). Anyway, in that, some of the main, current, unfolding possibilities.
This blog has certainly been quite the trip and revelation. (Though my work–of old– is done, my personal journey is ongoing and seemingly far from complete.) More than anyone else probably, I have learned so much through this egoic e-expressiveness the past year. It has been quite the voyage/venture turned inside out. As always, there are the concrete tasks and preoccupations of basic living that await in another day–pulling in and reading the morning newspaper (very old school), feeding the backyard birds, creating a nice breakfast, before getting on with what needs to be done. And full-moonishly, no doubt, some surprises will emerge as the day makes itself, unfolds, like this spontaneous early morning entry–writing that writes itself, as this possibilitarian enters the day, curious yet content. As always.