Johnny Doe has a busy day lined up–very busy, indeed. In the morning, he’s going to beat his heart; in the afternoon he’s going to breathe for a few hours; and in the evening he’s scheduled an appointment with his small and large intestines to digest his dinner of fish and chips. And after performing all of these tasks, he’s going to manage seeing, hearing, tasting, touching, and smelling. He might even throw in a little ambulation, coordination, and conversation just to mix it up a little. Johnny’s in charge. What a busy man, he is!
Preposterous? Absurd? Ludicrous? Yes, to all three–the behavior of Johnny Doe certainly is! But isn’t the world telling us that this type of behavior is what’s necessary right now? Have we become that lost that we truly believe we must splash ourselves with alcohol hand sanitizer, or wear masks and hide behind plexiglass barriers to do business? Have we forgotten–as is clearly the case with Johnny–that we were given a miraculous body; one that includes an immune system that functions tirelessly to perform its duty without human intervention?
The false self–that of name (Jane and John Doe) and form–would never agree with this; for it believes that it has to manage everything. This is the fallacy of the conceptual self, the ego; the little “i” that’s running around in our heads. You know–the egoic “voice” that’s having thoughts about this article right now. That is not our true identity. We are the Awareness that is Witness to that voice. We are So Much More.
Johnny Doe would join us in our efforts to protect ourselves; but right now he’s sleeping. It’s a complicated process–sleep. He has it covered, though. Johnny has an arrangement with a good friend of his, Fred. They take turns, spotting each other night for night. When Johnny needs to sleep, Fred ventilates him with a properly cleaned bag valve mask; and the next night, when Fred needs to sleep, Johnny returns the favour by doing the same for him. A pot of dark roast coffee really helps for those all-night shifts. Human teamwork–no need for God, a Power much greater than ours. We can do better than this…I know we can. It just might take a little introspection.
Dare to dream (and care for one another).
With heartfelt regards,
Art
Copyright © – 2020 – R. Arthur Russell
P.S. Please share this article if you enjoyed it. If you’d like to view my latest book (This Taste of Flesh and Bones–released September 8, 2020), press here. May it help you in your spiritual journey. 
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