Wednesday, June 29, 2011

The Bliss of Connection


When Richard Dreyfus’s character had a Close Encounter, his life as he knew it was over.  He was driven to find meaning in what seemed incomprehensible. He spent his waking hours searching for the truth, building something that could satisfy some strange  longing, a need to connect to something unidentified.

He trashed his job, yard, home, kitchen, and family all to make sense of his need. In that moment  (captured by this photo) he recognizes the monstrosity he manifested in the middle of his kitchen existed. That his psychic impressions and fantasies were real. His madness had meaning. His insanity was sane and he could finally lean into the arms of his own truth.

He left what he knew and climbed a mountain to walk hand in hand with those who supported his vision. He found  home with the gentle strangers of an Unidentified Flying Object.

This last weekend at the IV Dreamland festival sponsored by Unknowncountry.com,
I realized that I too had been living my whole life for that connection, searching, yearning and finally present to the love that only being with those on a same journey can provide. 

All of us there, the attendees and presenters knew on some deep level that this was the place we had to be.  These were the people we had to know and this, is what we had to do. Yes there are challenges to be a part of something that on some level has elements of controversy and skepticism, but our attention to shed light on the truth seems more important. This could no more be stopped than banning  stars from beaming light. However in our quest there is pain. It is in facing that pain for our truth that we may find bliss. 

May we all find the courage to do whatever we must for the bliss of the connection.


2 comments:

John L. said...

I really like your quote, "His madness had meaning. His insanity was sane and he could finally lean into the arms of his own truth."

We all have our own "madness." In addition to the way you express it in this context, I think there is a validity to your blog entry that applies to so many other aspects of life. What I get out of it is an implication of how healing it can be for one to be validated and accepted without condemnation and judgment. We seek others (or one other) who will be there to hold our hand and climb with us without judgment of our "madness" but with understanding and compassion.

It feels so very rare to find that. But when it happens it's truly joyous.
.

Madd Matt said...

This was the same feeling I had at the first Dreamland Fest that I attended, being last year's... and your description hit that nail on the head. Not many of us have the fortune of having at least one or two like-minded friends living nearby, and far too many of us are outright alone in that regard. It makes such a gathering like the DLFest far too magnetic an event for those of us that have experienced it to stay away.

Earlier this year, when Whitley announced that he was cancelling this year's Festival, I was hit with the exact same feeling that I got years ago when a woman I was very close to tried to tell me that she didn't want to see me anymore. The Dreamland Festival is that connective of an event. ;)