Let's Go to the Movies!

When you think you're stuck in some sort of problem or difficulty, what's a good way to gain perspective? One that I've found useful is to step back and think of the circumstances as being a movie (often very dramatic!). Then you can watch the movie while magically starring in it at the same time.

Another image I first heard used by Canadian philosopher Kenneth G. Mills is that of the "space suit." Because our identity is so much greater than the appearance of a material form, the personal body can be seen as a symbol walking about on God's page (Anton, this is yours!). We don this space suit in order to engage life on earth. Having put on our flesh-and-blood costume, we can have the experience of being in the movie of maya (illusion) without getting entangled in it.

And the movie can be great fun, especially when viewed with the special and freeing attitude called Wonder.

Recently, another dear friend of mine (we have known each other since 2nd grade, and continue to correspond) quoted for me a 37-year-old letter of mine she had rediscovered while searching for something among some old papers. I wrote it to her when I was attending Lone Mountain College. I'd forgotten all about the events I described for her until I read the letter; now the memories have re-surfaced. What a rich, delightful experience living in San Francisco had been!

Here's part of my letter:

". . . a fellow in my Gestalt Workshop class decided he wanted me to be in a movie he was making for another course of his, so one day I went over to the roof of a nearby house where one of his cameramen lived and we did some filming.

"I and a bunch of other people were supposedly visiting relatives who had come to sponge off of a young woman who is getting rich as the Donut King (she dresses up as a man and pretends to be her own cousin in order to Succeed in Business). We take over her house and create a small riot. I happily snoop around (in the story I'm a kleptomaniac) and stick little objects into my pocket and purse and otherwise bug her.

"In the story, she finally goes off in despair, leaving all the relatives asleep, and comes back dressed as a man to throw us all out. At this point, there was a small change in plan, as we had frightened the little old lady downstairs, who didn't know what the hell we were doing on the roof and called San Francisco's finest to her aid.

"I had my eyes closed, pretending to be asleep, when I heard this voice say, 'Okay, everybody, what's going on up here?' and I looked at two policemen emerging through an upstairs window onto the roof. The director explained we were filming a movie and one of the policemen (both were very young) said, 'Oh, yeah? Take my picture!' and struck a pose.

"Then, remembering he was supposed to be authoritative, he tried to look serious and said, 'Well, anyway, don't you know how much you people scared this poor old lady? You'll all have to leave now; she doesn't want you here any more.'

"The director, ever enterprising, shouted 'Make the best of it! Keep shooting!' So the movie ended with scenes of all of us being herded out by the policemen. Actually, this fitted in pretty well with the story -- the Donut King could have just called the police to help her-him out with the relatives, so the whole thing should be fine.

"Just think -- my film debut raided by the fuzz!" (end of letter excerpt)

Have fun in your movie today!

P.S. - Today marks the anniversary of the passing of my Mentor, Kenneth G. Mills. On October 8, 2004 he took off his space suit after many years of loving service to those of us on the world stage. As Dr. Mills said to me upon the passing of my father, "He has ceased to be contained by his limits." Rest in Joy, Beloved One.