The image in my dream last night is one of playing one-on-one basketball against a taller, stronger, quicker opponent, but I won’t give up or give in despite my relative weakness….

My strength is not what it needs to be — not even close to what I want it to be. And yet I am persistent. Like the proverbial dog guarding his last bone, I won’t give up or give in.

This is the way it feels being 59 years old and dealing with arthritis and the associated pain that comes and goes. It is, indeed, bigger than me in that I really have no choice in the matter now. My opponent is big and, at times, aggressive. He means to give me no quarter. I can’t get around him, but at least I can hold him off, keeping him at bay as best I can — stretching, moving, going to the gym even when I’d rather not. I’m not prepared to give up the fight — just yet, and hopefully never.

Aren’t we all dealing with some force greater than we are? Some opponent that would certainly defeat us if we would only let our guard down for a moment? I think of those poor souls who have lost their homes or their livelihoods or both up along the New Jersey shore and in New York. How easy it would be for them to give up — never thinking previously that they would have to face something as daunting as starting over from scratch.

We need to help each other in our challenges to overcome our opponents. We need whatever strength we can muster from within ourselves, whatever guile or cleverness or determination we can manage — but we also need to band together in our common humanity for the greater community.

Amen

This is my first foray into the world of blogging, so yes, welcome!

I envision this to be an adventure in listening to the soundings of soul in both my life and in the cultures in which we live. Through the messages that come to us in nighttime dreams, we connect with the depths of life, our own souls, the soul of the world, and some say even with God. In this blog, I’ll be sharing dreams, reflections, active imaginations, and other writings that hopefully appeal to anyone who cares about the place of soul in the midst of our busy lives.

Feel free to share your own dreams and reflections, writings or poetry, comments, and anything that contributes to the exploration of the collective unconscious. Together, we’ll explore the depths of life, love, relationships, work, and the worlds in which we live, move, and have our being.

Peace,

John