I'm in the midst of articulating for her ie I'm in the midst of
expressing for her what it is for me to
be around her,
how much I enjoy
being around her.
We're kindred spirits. We're soul mates. We were joined at the
hip (if you will) at a very early age. It's more than that
actually. It's she makes it possible for me to
get
ie she makes it possible for me to live we're
all kindred spirits (and aren't we?). At some point,
without much effort on my part, what comes out of my
mouth
ie what I hear literally falling out of my
mouth,
are my
words"Wherever I am, here you are.". Interimly they're addressed to
her. Ultimately they're addressed to
humanity
at large.
"I know exactly what you mean" she says. "That's such a
great realization. It's about
who we are
for each other - I mean it's about
who we really
are
for each other. When I
get
it, there are no edges separating us. The lines between us become
blurred. It's just one being. There's only the being of
'human being'
- which is to say we're just one being, the being of
'human being'.
And as long as we're here ie as long as we're on
the planet,
we each
get
to
play
in a starring
role
as a separate, responsible
human being
... and ... we separate, responsible
human beings
each always retain the access to our essential
commonality
as the being of
human being.".
It's not an
easy
idea for me to
communicate.
It's an even less
easy
idea for her (or for anyone else, for that matter) to grasp. But she
does grasp it. She
gets
it. I can tell she does. She gets the idea of the being of
human being.
It's a grand idea, the grasping of which is
simple ... but
it's not easy.
And yet it's imminently
getable.
Having
gotten
it, she doesn't
rest there on her laurels
for long. Her
eyes
are
bright,
shining, and
alive.
She challenges me
playfully,
asking "There's just one thing,
Laurence Platt:
don't you mean 'Wherever I am, there you are' rather than
'Wherever I am, here you are'? 'Wherever you are' is
there" she says (pointing at me), "so you should say
'Wherever I am, there you are'". "No no, not really" I
say, "I really do mean 'Wherever I am, here you are'!".
I can tell from the look on her
face
she doesn't quite
get
this aspect of it (or at least not yet) - or that she's still wrestling
with this aspect of it. So I say "To make this point
clearer,
let's assume it's
true
that where you are for me, is there" I say, pointing at
her. "But where are you for yourself?" I persist. She
gets
my
question.
She groks (as Robert Heinlein may have said) where I'm
going with this. "I'm here" she says, pointing to her head
(listen:
we're not what's in our heads, but that gesture is
good enough for
jazz).
"Exactly" I say, "and where I am for myself, is 'here' too" I say,
pointing to my head. "That's
why
'Wherever I am, there you are' is only apropos us
playing
in starring
roles
as separate, responsible
human beings.
Yet apropros both of us as the being of
human being,
it's 'Wherever I am, here you are.'".
A delicious, tangible, palpable
quiet
ensues. These are the
moments
we cherish. These are the
times
when the
power
of
language
driven ideas to
open
not only new
doors
but to
open
new
worlds,
is apparent. And this is a new
world.
This is a new
world
in which it's our essential ground of being ie in which it's
who we really
are
rather than who we think we are or who we'd
like to be, which is paramount and accessible. It's
authentic.
It's
simple but it's not easy.
Yet it's imminently
getable.
I break the silence. "There's one more piece to this" I say, "It's
this: when I say 'Where I am for myself, is here', I don't
actually mean in here", pointing to my head (to my
eyes,
to my
brain,
actually). "All that's in here is
machinery embedded in
hamburger.
No, where I am for myself is
out-here
where life is actually lived.". "Don't you mean out
there?" she asks. "No no, not really" I say, "I really do
mean
out-here.
That's another
conversation
entirely. To be continued - OK?". "OK!" she smiles.