If We Could See and Hear

We generally walk around blind and deaf to most things.

We believe what we see but we don’t see much.

We believe what we hear but we don’t hear much.

Nope, not going all crazy science here on you. It’s making a point. We see a very tiny fraction of what is going on around us. We also hear a tiny fraction of what is going on around us.

Not only are we relatively blind and deaf, we actually don’t have the ability to pay attention and manage more than 5-7 thoughts in our big brains at one time. It’s a freaking miracle that we survive. Well, sort of.. Most of us survive because we work together.

In the limited spectrum of light and sound as tiny as it is, it’s still pretty big. It takes a lot to be aware. Awareness informs us and provides us information in order to make decisions. If we aren’t aware, we literally can’t make a choice. Consider Madam Curie and all those who came after who discovered radiation. Lack of awareness and lack of knowledge equate to something potentially harmful. In some cases, even if we knew something, we may not believe it until we experience the consequences. (Side note, this week a 40 year old man died of complications of Covid. His last words were an apology as “I wish I’d listened.”

How many times have you said “I wish I’d listened?” How many times have you seen people not listen to you when you had information to share with them that would benefit or even save them?

Let’s take it up a notch. A book is in your bookshelf and there are pages and pages full of words which string together to form knowledge. At rest, these words do not inform us of anything but the act of picking up the book, reading and thinking help us become aware.

A beautiful song or sound, we’ve never heard could cause our hearts to swell and our bodies to feel electricity. It is because we become aware, conscious and mindful.

When we can see and hear and comprehend and/or trust, we become aware. Awareness informs us and this information can become actionable or not but with it we can make a choice.

Wait Wut? I don’t need nobody.. I can do it all by myself!

One could argue that people could survive alone in the wilderness without help from others. Sure, Dick Proenneke did it https://documentaryheaven.com/alone-in-the-wilderness/ but he’s a fairly rare case. Additionally, there is a lot that he may have missed out on. Although, there are times that I’d like to go somewhere and get away from the world.

The point here is, most of us need each other in some way or another. If you read a book and share that information with me and I trust you, I too become aware. Learning requires trust. Some of us trust the words right out of the book. I think that is interesting as well. Why is it that when something is written, it starts to feel as if we can trust it? Why would you trust something written in a book over something a friend, relative or even an acquaintance tells you? I mean, after all, you don’t know the person writing the words, you just consume what someone is telling you in a different way. Some religious folks state that one knows when the words conveyed holy. Depending on the religion, it may be a guru or enlightenment that provides this truth.

Trusting What you Can’t See

Oh, those are the hands of the ceremonial blessing from the priestly Kohanim. Cohen’s like me! Descendant from the tribe of Levites, as so we are told. Millions of graves have these hands imprinted on the stones. The prayer symbol comes even before an image of the person themselves. It’s absolutely fascinating if you think about it. Billions of people over the years of human existence believe 100% in concepts they can’t see or hear. They have faith. Beyond all reason and logic, we choose to ignore the things in front of us and embrace the things we can’t see or hear.

I am not challenging your faith, just pointing out something sorta of simply complicated. Let’s say that G-d came down to your living room and said “bubala, you’ve been living a good life, now it’s time to do some giving back, I’m giving you three things to do, here they are now go to it.” One of the three things may be that you need to share the story with someone you know and love. What is the likelihood that even your close significant other would believe you? You’d be classified as ready for coco puffs!

Yah.. that’s Sammy, his brain hurts too. He’s actually asking “what’s the point, dad?”

The point is, for everything we think we know, we should spend time understanding that we don’t really know much. We need to rely on each other and have trust and faith in our connectedness. Faith is important as well, but a compass is not a map. Many of the truly faithful use their faith as a prescription and a hardened path like one route on a GPS vs a compass. Folks who know directionally where to go can get there as well. Enjoy the trip and the moments and our momentary realizations and epiphanies.

We also should realize that just as Madam Curie didn’t have awareness that her work was literally killing her, we are sorta in the same boat. (Yeah, your work could be killing you)

If we could see and hear everything, it would literally drive us mad.

We’ve been given a gift in blind and deafness. Years ago, I heard that the curse of man from the tree of knowledge was actually awareness of our own mortality. I suppose some folks want to know when they are going to the next place but not me. So, here were are..

It’s ok to know

&

It’s ok not to know!

Much Love ~ As always, happy to read your thoughts and perspective.