Some of you are pretty young … and wise.  I’m especially thinking of a Buddhist nun from Italy: Gotami.  Her name was given by her teacher in Myanmar.  She’s 27.

I wonder what wisdom means …

The ability to apply knowledge, experience and deep understanding to make sound judgments and good decisions … involving empathy, emotional balance and a clear moral compass to navigate complex life situations and benefit the greater good

So … the mind and the heart.

Can a five-year-old child be wise?  As in “from the mouths of babes”?  I say yes.

Can a mentally handicapped person be wise?  My head is nodding yes.

Can you and I be wise?  Why not?  I sense there’s a slowing down here, letting the teachings of life wash over me.

And I’d say that a divine mist is falling on the shoulders of Venerable Gotami.

Voilà:

Even if just one person feels more understood, more whole, or simply less alone … that would be the greatest gift of all.

…

Live truthfully.  Follow your own path rather than your parents’ fears or society’s expectations.  A wholesome life grounded in ethics, courage and openness is possible.

…

[I read] the beautiful poem “The Albatross” by Charles Baudelaire, which spoke of a majestic seabird mocked and mistreated by sailors.  I cried in front of the entire class the first time I read it.  The poem was harsh but profoundly moving.  Its message was clear: people don’t understand beauty and spiritual goodness – they mock those who are different, clumsy or sensitive.  I felt like that winged traveller every single day.

…

He wore an orange robe, had olive skin, and round, peaceful, luminous eyes.

…

Even my life could perhaps encourage that girl who dreams in secret, and hides her wishes in a drawer.

…

That place was calling me.  And I answered.

…

I promised myself: “If I talk the way I would to someone I love, I’m doing it right.”

…

I wasn’t afraid of the dangers.  I was more scared of not answering the call inside me. Even if something bad happened to me by accident while I was there, I was ready to take responsibility.  I was prepared to face any difficulty to achieve my dream.  That opportunity I had dreamed of for so long was finally here, right in front of me.  And I couldn’t let it go.

…

Part of something far greater than myself

…

It was an ancient kind of happiness, like I had been there many times before.

***

I have a friend in Sri Lanka

We are introduced to Lyra Belacqua in the first volume of Philip Pullman’s trilogy His Dark Marerials.  She’s an 11-year-old orphan, wise beyond her years, alive like few others.

Even AI enjoys Lyra:

Lyra fights against oppressive religious structures, masters the truth-telling alethiometer, and undergoes a profound journey into adulthood.

Who leads on this planet?  Those who are brave, whose eyes are wide open to the mystery, and whose mouth speaks the truth.

I don’t care how old you are, what you look like, where you’re from.  I’ll be by your side if you’re kind, if you have empathy, if you stand up when others stay seated, if you go towards rather than backing away.

Philip Pullman says some amazing things in his writing.  Here are a bunch of them.  (And I realize you have no context for these quotes and descriptions)

What Lyra says:

“Iorek!” she said in a fierce undertone.  “Listen!  You owe me a debt, right?  Well now you can repay it.  Do as I ask.  Don’t fight these men.  Just turn around and walk away with me.  We want you, Iorek, you can’t stay here.  Just come down the harbour with me and don’t even look back.”

…

“I want to come North,” Lyra said so they could all hear it.  “I want to come and help rescue the kids.“

“We will go,” she said to Pantalaimon.  “Let ’em try to stop us.  We will !”

…

When I get out, I’m going to tell all the kids in the world about this.

You oughter go and see him.  He still loves you, I know he does.

Come on, I’ll make a new bandage, I’ll put some coffee on to cook, I’ll make some omelette, whatever you want, and we’ll sleep …  We’ll be safe now we’ve got the alethiometer back, you’ll see.  I’ll do nothing now except help you find your father, I promise …

***

What people say to Lyra:

The stars are alive, child.  Did you know that?  Everything out there is alive, and there are grand purposes abroad!  The universe is full of intentions, you know.  Everything happens for a purpose.  Your purpose is to remind me of that.

…

She took off her crown, and plucked from it one of the little scarlet flowers that, while she wore them, remained as fresh as if they had just been picked.

“Take this with you,” she said, “and whenever you need my help, hold it in your hand and call to me.  I shall hear you, wherever you are.”

…

Where do you come from?  What are you?  How do you know things like this?

***

What people say about Lyra:

Shame on you!  Think what this child has done!  You might not have more courage, but you should be ashamed to show less.

…

“This little girl’s pretty important, huh?” he said after several minutes.

“More than she will know,” Serafina Pekkala replied.

…

This is no ordinary child.

“We’re looking for a child,” said Serafina.  “A young girl from our world.  Her name is Lyra Belacqua, called Lyra Silvertongue.  But where she might be, in a whole world, we can’t guess.  You haven’t seen a strange child, on her own?”

***

How Lyra breaks open the world:

It was the most dangerous thing she had ever said.  She could see quite clearly that only his astonishment prevented him from killing her on the spot.

She stood still, this tall bony gawky girl in her white nightgown and her bare feet, her face so unguarded it was almost naked, a face where intelligence and honesty and shyness and courage and hope all blended into an expression that touched Lee’s heart so strongly he all but fell in love with her there and then.

The witches have talked about this child for centuries past.  Because they live so close to the place where the veil between the worlds is thin, they hear immortal whispers from time to time, in the voices of those beings who pass between the worlds.  And they have spoken of a child such as this, who has a great destiny that can only be fulfilled elsewhere – not in this world but far beyond.  Without this child, we shall all die.

***

Lyra lives in this world

First of all, my calculating mind is saying that noun should be spelled nown.  The mysteries of the English language continue.

Anyway –  person, place or thing.  Or … more subtly and delightfully – value, principle, of the soul.

I don’t get excited by a door, but “integrity” warms my heart.

Many moons ago, a teacher introduced me to content analysis.  Take a piece of writing and see if the author has used certain words frequently, or similar words.  That will tell you something about the person’s perspective … and heart.

So here’s a Facebook user in response to some post about US politics, in which many people commenting were critical of the person posting.  I look for nouns that join …

I’m so disheartened reading these mix of comments.

We have allowed our politics and our blind allegiance to political and religious ideology to cripple us as a nation from even seeing the truth.

We are human, first and foremost. With the responsibility to care for each other, especially our most vulnerable, and our planet.

This division has to end between our political parties. Citizens acting out of fear, anxiety, and rage are predisposed to directing all those feelings, and that blame to the “other side”. That division is what fuels the devolution of our very democracy.

There are no sides when it comes to protecting and defending our constitution, our people, and our planet. Which are all currently under very real threats.

Thank you for speaking the truth, and thank you for protecting and defending the constitution.

I would like to have coffee with this fine human being

I met a young woman in Lloyd Coffee Eatery yesterday.  In a moment, I’ll tell you what she said.  I told her that tomorrow (now today) I’d write about our moments together, changing her name.

Today she was in Lloyd’s again.  I remembered her name but had forgotten that I was going to talk about her in today’s post.  I apologized.  She smiled and said it was okay.

So my current mind flows … into unknown territory, leaving behind some scheduled events and promises.  Everything is so loose, and I need to keep forgiving myself when my focus disappears.

And on I continue to go.

***

I’ll call my new friend “Laila”.  She walked up to me yesterday and said:

Do you have any life advice you can give me?

Who says such things to me?  Virtually no one.  In fact, it might be “no one”.  Very few people seem interested in what my life is like.  But Laila was.  I was happy.

I replied with what I’ve said many times, to many people …

If you’re romantically interested in someone, create a situation where you can watch them interact with people, but your potential beloved doesn’t know you’re there.

They won’t be trying to impress you with what a great person they are.  You’ll see “the real deal”.  How do they treat folks who are different from them?

Old people

Kids

Human beings with another language, culture, sexual orientation, skin colour, personality …

Those with a physical, intellectual or emotional problem

Are they kind?

Laila listened.  She said she’d remember my advice.  She thanked me.

***

And I smiled inside and out

I like writing.  Over the years I’ve become more lean with words.  I want to use fewer of them.  Stephen King, in his book On Writing, was an influence … but mostly it felt like a good thing to do.

The Tour de France starts tomorrow.  There were interviews yesterday with many of the riders.

Here are some quotes, and my suggestions:

…

[I feel] better, stronger.  I would even say happier in my mental state.

[I feel] better, stronger.  I’m happier in my mental state.

…

We tried to change to mix it up with the preparation for the Tour.

We changed to mix it up with the preparation for the Tour.

…

So for me at least, I came out of the Giro in a good way.

I came out of the Giro in a good way.

…

It was more the whole schedule going to the Tour that I said that, like, I didn’t really fancy doing what I did for the last five years.

It was more the whole schedule going to the Tour … I didn’t fancy doing what I did for the last five years.

…

I’m not sure if I can reveal our race strategy.  You’ll see.

I won’t reveal our race strategy.  You’ll see.

…

I mean, I do not have to do that.

I do not have to do that.

….

I enjoy it maybe even more.

I enjoy it more.

…

Certainly, there is always impatience in a rider, but that shouldn’t necessarily affect my style of racing.

Certainly, there is always impatience in a rider, but that shouldn’t affect my style of racing.

…

I enjoy racing all my life.  But I must say that maybe I enjoy it more every year.

I enjoy racing all my life.  But I enjoy it more every year.

…

At the moment it actually feels exactly the same as preparing for any other race, to be honest.

It feels the same as preparing for any other race.

***

Enough said

I love dancing

I went to the Dour Music Festival last year … and I loved dancing

I struggled physically and emotionally during our recent heat wave

I have a ticket for the five days of Dour – July 15-19

My weather app gives a forecast that goes as far as July 16

15: 33°   16: 32°

Today’s humidity is 78%, meaning that it feels considerably warmer than what the thermometer says.  Humidity for future dates is unknown

(Sigh)

***

What to do?

I bought insurance for going to the festival because my friend Prabigya was planning to get married in Nepal in mid-July … and I’m invited.  I checked the insurance policy yesterday.

The funny thing is that a change of plans is not covered by the policy.  I would have cancelled Dour and not received a euro back!  (Read the fine print, Bruce)

Prabigya has rescheduled her wedding for next March but there’s a more immediate situation: my health.  Do I go to Dour if the temps stay as advertised?

The insurance does cover “illness” of course.  I have an appointment with my family doctor tomorrow, and I’m wondering if he’d write a sick note something like this:

Bruce experienced heat exhaustion in our recent four-day heatwave.  The temperatures at the upcoming Dour Festival are forecast to be 30° or higher each day.  To protect his health, Bruce should not go.

Is it likely I’d be “sick” on July 13 or so when I’d ask Dr. Lagae for the note?  Probably not.  Would it be within integrity for him to write such a note?  I think so but we’ll see what he says.

Bottom line time:

1.  If the temperatures for Dour stay in the 30’s during the festival, I won’t go.

2.  If Dr. Lagae agrees with me that him writing a sick note that anticipates illness is within integrity, I’ll ask him for one.

3.  If all this happens, Dour may or may not give me a refund.  I’ll accept their decision.

***

Alrighty then …

Thanks for helping me think this through

As a member of the Evolutionary Collective Core, I volunteered to support the teacher and the participants in an introductory course to our work.  Six Tuesday evenings … such as last night.  It was Session Four.

My mind didn’t think of #4 yesterday afternoon.  More crucially, my mind didn’t think of it in the evening.  And so … I wasn’t there.

I’m sad that I didn’t keep my word, and that I caused a problem for those who were there.

Was it yesterday that I talked about not analyzing what happens, not seeking the “why”?  (Hey, maybe it was three days ago!  I can’t remember)

I could give reasonable or unreasonable theories, depending on the ears of the beholder.  But what purpose would that serve?

I didn’t do what I said I’d do

I’m sad about that

I apologized

I will keep my head up

And on I go …

I sat in Le Pain Quotidien this morning, enjoying my breakfast.  I could feel what I wanted to write about today … but I started to censor myself.

You wrote about this a day or two ago.  You’ll be saying the same things.  Pick something else.  Talk about the chandelier

I was sitting in a new spot, seeing the restaurant from a different angle.  And lo and behold … there was the chandelier I’d never noticed before.

You can create a good story about this shift in perspective.  It’s a beautiful chandelier

Lovely, and not real in my heart of the moment.  So enjoy the photo, folks.  I’m on to what’s true.

***

I’m sad

Sadness #1

I’ve had a big financial jolt recently.  Several friends from the Evolutionary Collective are gathering in London this week.  Yesterday I was on a WhatsApp call with a few of them and gave them the news: I can’t afford to come.  (Sigh)

Sadness #2

I sang at an open mic session last night – a beautiful song.  I sang it with the deep emotion it deserved.  My voice wobbled some.  I forgot one line.  But that stuff is nowhere near as important as reaching people.  I think several in the audience were touched.

Except for one friend, no one said anything to me after the concert, not even the people who were sitting beside me all evening.  (Sigh again)

***

The message from Bruce to Bruce is clear:

Be sad

(For a little while)

Then sing some more

Recover financially

Get back out there!

I’m discovering my guest bedroom.  I’ve slept there over the last week since it’s far cooler.  I can open the windows at night, unlike my bedroom, where mosquitoes from the river would join me without hesitation.

What to say?  The walls are really orange!  When I showed my Canadian friend Anne photos of my Gent apartment, her verdict was clear:

We’re not coming to visit you until you get rid of those orange walls!  An off-white would be nice

Well, Anne, I’m cheerfully resisting the temptation to beige my place.  Give me colour or give me death!

As I lie in my newly-discovered bed, I see something else …

I bought this photo many years ago in Alberta, Canada.  In 2022, as I was planning my relocation to Belgium, I knew the cave would cross the ocean.

Too often, I don’t linger with the artwork in my home.  There’s that horrible word “busy” … zooming from one project to the next.  I need to stand before or sit before, or in my current situation of heat, lie before.

A stream of light brightening a cave

My mind is often quick.  It loves associations between one word and another.  It loves metaphor.  It slides easily  into “What does it mean?” 

Let’s not go there this time.

Here is a photo.  I choose not to add adjectives to describe, nouns to categorize.

I really like verbs … but right now I’m letting them go too.  It’s simply light in a cave – a scene that pauses my forward motion.  On my pillow.  Later on a chair.

Hello, dear cave

I was on Amazon, searching for some product.  Since memory isn’t my best subject, I can’t remember what I was looking for.  I was reading the reviews, since they often help me.

One person said this:

It corresponds to my needs

I stared at the words.  My research came to a halt.

What an odd and distant thing to say.  Instead of “It works really well” or “I like it.”  Thoughts of a breathing human being.

I started to imagine what the “corresponds” fellow or woman was like.  Do they use the same conceptual language with their partner, with their kids?  Are their human relationships mostly business deals?  Are they separate from the juice of life, the touching, the smile?

Who am I to know someone after hearing five words from them?

They may be a glowing spirit

But I wonder …