Webs We Weave

Long before we texted and used shortcuts like AFAIK, B4N, IMHO, and LOL.... long before marketing began abbreviating store names to BK, DQ, JCP, KFC and McD... and long before we understood the differences between WWI (World War 1), WWII (World War 2), www (world-wide web), ww2 and ww3 (alternate web servers to balance load)... there was another WWW... one that we didn't want to acknowledge or market: that is, the Webs We Weave!

Oftentimes, we don't understand or pay attention to the impact that we have on others.  As we "pass along information" (gossip) or "stretch the truth" (fibs or outright lies) to "protect others," we are weaving an alternate reality that is harder to remember and track.

Where is your focus?
(Photo: full moon above trees - Larry Gardepie, 2023)

I was thinking of this as I was watching a full moon rise above our trees in the backyard.  My attention was drawn first to the brilliance of the moon and its light.  I wondered about the "sheen" that surrounded the moon: it was a warm and dry evening so little moisture was in the air.  Then I noticed two industrious spiders and their elaborate web!

As the moon rose, the spiders continued their work -- capturing the moon's brilliance in their gossamer threads.

How do you rise above?
(Photo: Web Brilliance - moon, spiders, and their web
- Larry Gardepie, 2023)

I wondered about our lives, our experiences, and the stories we create and retell.

Do we:

• Celebrate another person's achievements and their brilliance?
• Capture and redirect what is said to serve our own purpose?
• Redefine or shorten historical definitions to remarket our beliefs?

What do you try to capture?
(Photo: The Webs We Weave -
moon, spiders, and web - Larry Gardepie, 2023)

When I moved around the backyard, the spiders and their web were left behind:  in order to see the full moon as it rose above the trees and fence line, I needed to reposition myself; the spiders and their web were no longer part of the view.

 

It took this self-positioning to return to the true focus of that moment.

 

Maybe that is what we are called to do now:

• Notice the webs that we and others weave;
• Reflect on and accept the impact these webs have on others; and,
  
• Move beyond and around so that we refocus on the true brilliance of our lives in relation with others.

 

May Life's Beauty have an impact on you this week!
 

Larry Gardepie

Dialogue San Diego Consulting

(click on link for website)

Beyond Invitation

You may have heard about, seen or attended a "Beyond" event.... "Beyond Monet" or "Beyond Van Gogh."  It's a wonderful way of introducing and immersing yourself into an artist's life story and artwork.  My brother alerted us to the "Beyond Van Gogh" exhibit in our city.

After going through the entrance, you walk down a series of corridors that briefly introduce you to the history and contribution of this individual.  Eventually, you enter a huge, empty warehouse-sized area... bare, with the exception of a few benches, floor-to-ceiling panels, and walls.  The artist's work is digitally displayed on the panels, walls, and floor, choreographed to music that sets the mood or art theme.

When do you take the time to sit and notice?
(Photo:  Beyond Van Gogh, entryway to exhibit,
Larry Gardepie)

 

Several thoughts came to mind as I sat on various benches or walked around the room:

• The invitation to sit and notice;
• The ability to bring artwork alive through motion and music; and,
• How much I don't know!

As the themes changed, the colors and textures of the walls and floor seemed to melt and transform:  from warm and cooling colors to vibrant splashes of life; from earthy country scenes to faces of farm workers; from city buildings to starry nights.  The Light of Life captured and reflected Van Gogh's interpretation of life, what he saw and experienced.

What do you know about a Loved One?
(Photo: Beyond Van Gogh, projected artwork,
Larry Gardepie)

Many galleries and museums gather and display artwork.  I've seldom wanted to stay and learn more at these galleries.  There was something different about this exhibit:  the ability to Go Beyond.  Though dying fairly unknown and poor, Van Gogh's contributions to art and his letters to his brother live on and are re-imagined... beyond the 37 years that he graced our world.

I wonder what captures our attention:

• Is it an invitation to sit and notice?
• Is it new ways of presenting information?
• Is it the humility to accept what we don't know?

Are you willing to sit and listen?
(Photo: Beyond Van Gogh, Immersed in His Artwork,
Larry Gardepie)

 

In a similar way, I wonder about our invitation to dialogue with each person we meet:  Do we take the time to notice, to sit, and to listen?  What information do we present and in what form do we offer the information?  Are we willing to accept that there are areas we haven't experienced or that we just don't know the answer?  Are we willing to stay and linger - to ask and to learn?

 

The invitation this week is to go beyond what we assume, what we think, and what we know or don't know.

Larry Gardepie

Dialogue San Diego Consulting

(click on link for website)