Carlotta: Yes, stardust. That thought alone should jerk us out of any bout of boredom.
Cosima: I'm down with obnoxious links, but then, links are in the eye of the beholder.
Jeffrey: I can relate. I've often compared early sobriety for me as a light dimmer slowly getting turned brighter and brighter. For a while, everything was too intense, a roller coaster of anxiety, but with time the (star) dust has settled and the intensity has mellowed into a calm wow.
I sense that a regular meditation practice has contributed to this. Early on I scoffed at the thought of a higher power, and I still don't see it that way. Not one with conscious volition, anyway. But this life thing is pretty damn baffling and awesome.
There's a great book by the Dalai Lama called The Universe in a Single Atom about the similarities between traditional Buddhist views of reality and quantum physics. From a more concrete (not sure if that's the appropriate word) perspective, we eat from the Earth and we are returned to the Earth (even if we're pickled, I suppose). We consume it and it consumes us. It's another way of looking at oneness. And then stardust reminds us that Earth is created by and one with the spheres.
In meditation, I have glimpses of this unity, when the ego lets go and the larger picture seems accessible. As animals we need ego, and we need to tend to the body, but there are other ways to perceive reality. I don't think it's coincidence that so many acidheads from my generation took up meditation. Guys like Richard Alpern/Ram Dass. I don't advocate the use of psychedelics, but I get the connection.
In recent years, when I go to festivals and witness a similar vibe - young people experimenting with DMT or mushrooms - I sense a parallel. Only the music is Shpongle or Tipper instead of Grateful Dead. I get concerned, though, because there is also too much weed, alcohol, and worse... It's a slippery slope.
But I digress. I still love festivals, and the longer I'm sober the more I appreciate dancing while I'm NOT high. I feel more authentic. It's the real me. Grounded, enthused, ecstatic, connected. Wonder and awe...
Looking forward to summer, more time outdoors, good music, and dancing. In a sense, I feel like recovery means tapping into our sense of wonder, about gratitude and appreciation for our lives and the gift of experience - without substances - perceived with clean and pure senses - no need or desire for anything more or different - accepting reality - loving reality - not fighting it - welcoming it - not pushing it away - embracing it - beyond good or bad - beyond judgement. This is what life is like...