Point of No Return

Beyond a certain point there is no return. This point has to be reached. - Franz Kafka in the Zen Calendar (August 13, 2004).

Day 198. I've reached my point of no return. How fortuitous it was to discover the quote from Mr. Kafka.

Lately I have been over-thinking the blog content. My as yet unconquered ego occasionally indulges in wonderment about the book and movie version. The Big R pointed out, ever so harshly, that the Julia/Julie movie was made possible because the script included vastly entertaining segments about the life of Julia Child, played delightfully by Meryl Streep. Hello. What would be the counterpart to my blog? Buddha/Julie? Julie/Buddha? Julie/Lance? Lance/Buddha/Julie? I suppose Lance could play himself alongside Kate Hudson, but Buddha may be a bit more difficult to cast. For some reason, Cuba Gooding, Jr. is who I envision for that distinctive role. Interesting association, especially since I don't recall ever seeing the Buddha depicted as African American. No worries; I'm fairly confident these are not dilemmas that will ever (ever!) have a basis in reality.

I also spin out thinking about the title of the book. Eat Pray Love has certainly done well. I'm confident that I, too, could have written a best-sellling book worthy of Julia Roberts playing me if I had someone footing the bill while I hung out in Italy, India, and Indonesia. And my version would have had some killer action scenes! I could have titled it Sit Blog Ride. Naturally, it's easy to draw these comparisons after someone else has already successfully launched their material into the galaxy. For now, I'm pretty content launching my blog, such as it is, into cyberspace.

Thoughts of a book and movie led to an assessment of the current status of things in my life. Interestingly, the trappings are here for something worthy of the big screen: Scrappy young football player (complete with being raised by a single mom, Celiac disease, and life-threatening head injury) fights and claws his way onto a Division One football roster? Check. Said player gets his hand smashed in his first scrimmage, resulting in surgeon pronouncing a career ending injury before he ever plays in a game? Check. End of three year relationship (including a shared mortgage in the midst of a housing crisis) and being single at the age of 50? Check. Tragic, high profile murder of longtime friend and potential new life partner? Check. Thousands of minutes perched on a cushion while enlightenment remains eternally elusive? Check.

I'd probably buy the book. Because I happen to know that the aforementioned is simply foreshadowing. Mid-way through the year, our heroine realizes that she has reached a critical point in her life. A point of no return. A point in which she can no longer live an incongruous life. A point at which, with increasing clarity, she is able to identify what is authentic for her. A point at which she begins to take action to bring this emerging clarity into fruition. The point of no return requires changes in thinking, perceiving, acting, eating, breathing, relating. The heroine risks conflict, solitude, rejection, and despair. She confronts anxiety, stagnation, and relinquishing the familiar for the unknown. She will leap into the abyss, and flounder in the belly of the whale. Like all beings embarking on a heroic journey, she will emerge transformed.

I don't yet know what the transformation looks like. Keep reading. You don't even have to buy the book.

Gassho,

CycleBuddhaDoc