Discovery Mode

The wonderful souls and denizens of this earth, at times seem so set in their ways. I suspect I was no different at times.

We have routine, ideas, ideologies, philosophies, opinions, and "shades and blinders" we put on to keep things the way they are.

What a great loss that can be, if one travels the roads of life, never changing direction because "that's the way we always did it".

I catch my self these days doing things the way they always were done. Cups always in the same cupboard; same old places to grab a pita; drive the same road every day even though there are several routes. 

I read the same paper the same way with the same mug of the same coffee in the same cup. Yet life, at the speed of life, is changing every nano second. 

After 19 years of living with the same partner, we develop habits and nuances that "just make sense" But if we change it up, it feels odd at first; but kinda cool and good.

I have my opinions about things, but always keep an open mind to new ideas, thoughts, and ways of living. I just need to turn that on more I suspect. Routine is fine really, but life should never be about routine. We are just a spit in the ocean, and our time here is but a blip on the cosmic clock. So why do we not take in life's concerto at different venues?

The adventurous of us claim that "we love to travel and experience new things". But we still need to know that every Tuesday night "House" comes on. We shut down our discovery modus for these events, because there is comfort in conformity I guess. God forbid that someone drop in or the phone ring at the end of an American Idol show!

At a certain age or time in our life's we have our "set" of friends and family. If someone really interesting (how would we know?) were to walk by our house, or grace us in line at "Fourbucks", we put up a sign in our eyes that says: "Not looking for friends, set in that way. Not interviewing or accepting applications for the positions of friends".

Shame.

Bluetooth was a Danish Pirate. Bluetooth technology is named after the pirate. When you want to "pair" devices (laptop, cell phones etc) you have to put your Bluetooth device into "discovery mode".

Devices have to be in close proximity, so when in "discovery mode" they find each other and "pair".

I guess we reach a certain age, or complacency or maybe even a general laziness in life, and stop putting our minds, hearts and souls in "discovery mode". 

I wonder why?

The universe is filled with amazing things, but people are the most unique things we can spend time with. Watching, sharing, conversing, eating, or just hanging out with. It is nice to travel and see the sites that man made, and the geography that time created. But really it is people that we talk about after a trip. 

"Went to the Grand Canyon/Disney/Paris/the Nile.... and we met this amazing couple who....."

We have all heard it. It's the souls we interact with along the road that make the concerto really. 

But you have to be in "discovery mode" all the time to make the mundane trip to the A & P part of life's wonderful experience.

Head down, Bluetooth off, we miss so much.

I have spent the last several years in medical land. Taking care of someone, and getting David back to David was work and time. 

I missed a lot.

Nine months in a cone of silence my "discovery mode" in my internal Bluetooth system kicked in and on. 

I watched people.

I read lips.

I read eyes.

I looked inquisitively at life and enjoyed it with open mind and no sound.

Somewhere in my recovery and in taking care of my wife's well being, my Bluetooth got turned off, and I took myself out of discovery mode.

How wonderful recently to discover this tragic error, and flip back into discovery mode. If you give it time, and don't obsess over the details too much, life is fascinating again. Wonderful experiences happen every second, in every place, all the time. But you have to be in discovery mode to appreciate it, drink it in, wallow in it, play in it, and replay in your mind over and over.

One has to adapt to change really to take in the "new".

We have to empty our "cups" to put us in touch with the newness and constant changing about us daily. To experience what life has to show and teach us, we have to be in discovery mode, and make room for new "movements" in our concerto.

They are out there to be sure.

NAN-IN, a Japanese master  received a university professor who cam to inquire about Zen.

Nan-in served tea. He poured his visitor's cup full, and then kept pouring.

The professor watched the overflow until he no longer could restrain himself. "It is overfull.  No more will go in!"

"Like this cup" Nan-in said, "your are full of your own opinions and speculations. How can I show you Zen unless you first empty your cup?"

Warmest,

David