*LIFE PRESERVE* (in progress) mural design by Ben Harubin with artists Nick Anvil, WCool, Pepe Paban, MattG, JohnM, Worth

Consider
That Certain Step is never taken without a particular taste of madness.

 

I once met a man who swore he was “truly religious.” He said he was aware of
the many philosophical arguments against such, and that he was familiar with
logical disproofs. But he said, “No matter, religious I am, and religious I shall
always be.” I expressed my interest in such an attitude and belief, and invited
him to sit with me and persuasively explain the basis for his deep convictions.
He screwed up his face, looked at his watch and said, “Ah, to hell with it!”

There was once a man who had been discoursing with a group of listeners about
the thing he called, “the Work,” and one day he called them all together and said,
“I am ready to confess, I have lied to you. All this time I simply read about the
Work in a book, the same as you. I don’t have any more idea what it is about than
you do. I’ve made up everything I’ve told you. I’m a liar and a fraud. Everything
I have done has been a waste.”

Well, there was crying and screaming; people looking blank and confused. It was
total shock and dismay as they all stumbled and ran away, all except for one man
who just continued sitting there.

The sham-teacher screamed at him, “Didn’t you hear what I said? Run, get away from here.”
And the fellow said, “Never mind all that shit, its too late. I’m almost Awake.”

Once, after man years of tiring effort and fortuitous fate, a man found himself,
“Awake” and in the presence of the G.S.S.I.C.O.S.T., (The Great Secret Spirit
In Charge Of Such Things), and the man just stood there for days and hours,
Smiling and grinning and marveling at the whole affair.
Finally his voice arrived, he laughed aloud, then said, “Wooooo, wowwwww, ahhhh;
Great Spirit! I can’t wait to go back and tell all my friends about it, and help the to
Wake up!"

And the Spirit said, “Good luck.”