Life Outside of Story
July 28th, 2020 by Ernie
We humans are so tied to our sense that we are individuals living in time, so we live out the stories we write, consciously or not, about who we are, what’s happening and our place in it all. The story of “Me and My Life” – the endless attempt to plot a “good life” which we assume we’re in charge of. Hell of a story!
There are underlying pillars of our personal and collective stories that they all share, such as our existence as individuals, the reality of time & space, the need to pursue happiness (however defined), the reality & inevitability of struggle, loss, grief and suffering. These underpin our stories and are the subtexts of all our dramas, in life and reflected in our entertainment.
We have taken the stories to be real & true. They aren’t. But the struggle and drama that befall us because we believe them are real enough.
So what? Well, all that struggle and hurt for one thing – when will we get tired of that? For another, the focus on story prevents us noticing what is actually going on outside the story line.
And what’s that? It’s the here & now beauty of the earth, and the deep recognition of the horrors that belief in human stories create. I often imagine the appropriate horror in a little girl of 5 or 6 watching someone beat a child or animal. She is mostly innocent of the underlying story and sees instead the nasty reality of its consequences.
It is clearly possible to see all this, like that child, as obvious and troublesome if one isn’t deceived or blinded by the considerable taint of storytelling. Yet most all of us buy in unwittingly, innocently, but disastrously.
Must we?
No. But to end the madness, storytelling has to be questioned and confronted, even its fundamentals.
I wanted to flesh out a little of what it is we’re missing. What is actually going on when story is absent? Well, everything else! Children know. The natural world does not need story. Morning dew, color, crashing waves, smiles, beauty, love, the play of light, breezes, winks, anthills and sky – always sky. The sense of touch, delicious sound, a swelling heart, starry nights, endless fascination and wonder. No story required. Story is a mental overlay, and an unnecessary one. In story, we’ve lost touch with all that except as decoration for the story of ‘me and my life’.
It’s fun to get curious about our stories and their impact. The results can be rich beyond measure. Of course if you lose your stories. . .who would you be?
Warning: curiosity killed the cat.
So well said my friend. So well said.
Using story and its absence is a lovely way to express the no self…
Stories provide a means of expression. When told, the speaker is making the choice to tell the story. The story may just be the story, or it may reveal the speaker’s values, or true message, possibly without the speaker’s awareness.
Stories serve to preserve history, although they are not the same story with the passage of time.
Stories reveal the values of the present day.
Stories can replace stating uncomfortable expressions, while hoping the listener grasps the true yet unspoken message.
Your post, reads as stories can be defenses. They can give us a feeling of legitimacy. Without stories, we do lose our personal and social construct. First terrifying, it can also be liberating. Living without stories provides for living in the moment.
I walked out of my kitchen into my backyard and was flooded with how beautiful it looked, how sweet it smelled, how delicious it felt, a bit of paradise. I had been inside, listening to the morning news. What a contrast!
You wrote “the focus on story prevents us noticing what is actually going on outside the story line.” So true, so liberating dear Ernie.
Julie! Thank you for commenting! Yes, telling stories is a lovely way to express so much about life and ourselves. And can, as you say, be a subtle way of saying something sideways when you want. As you note at the end, I too like pointing to the liberation from our constructs, and thus from ego. A blessing.
Mack, you are undaunted in seeing heaven on earth!
Beautiful Ernie! We need more “stories” like this one.