As some of the readers here likely know, Michael and I trade duties on the regular “Center of Attention” feature at TMV. I’m currently attempting to contribute double-time on that feature while Michael’s out on his vacation/mini-sabbatical.

Now, I can’t speak for Michael, but for me — depending on the day of the week, my mood, what’s out there and what catches my eye — development of that CoA feature is (typically) one of two experiences; either collossus struggle or so-easy-it-writes-itself.

And then (atypically) there’s a third category of experience when putting that feature together, one where the stars and planets line up; where it’s neither difficult nor simple to write, but when it’s done, you step back and discover that you didn’t just complete a task for the benefit of readers, you learned something in the process and satisfied some of that insatiable curiousty that drives you to read and write, share and inquire.

Today was one of those days.

I don’t know if you’ll agree, but here’s the link anyway, in case you want to test the waters.

It has been storming here, in the north of the Netherlands, all day long. It doesn’t rain, nor is it extremely cold, it’s just… storming. Despite this, what we humans call, ‘bad’ weather, I had to take the dog, a chubby black labrador retriever, out for a walk.

During the walk - the dog nervous, at times almost flying - I saw a sea gull trying to fly over the road. It wanted to go from one pasture to another. The problem: it had to fly head first into the wind.

The brave sea gull passionately tried to get there. Up and down it went, hovering, proceeding three feet, before being blown back again. The sea gull got tired, that much was clear, but refused to give up.

I could not but cheer for it. “Come on boy (or girl), you can do it. Clap those wings, come on. Fly baby, fly.” The sea gull gave it another try, a last, desperate attempt, before landing on the road, and walking the remaining distance to the other pasture.

“There’s a lesson in all of this”, I thought to myself. What was it? Never give up? Don’t think too difficult? I looked at the pasture the sea gull just left. Then at the other one. Back again to the first one.

“What the hell did he leave it for?”

My thesis is that the world was made to serve us. My thesis is that we are not just living in the world, we are above it. My thesis is that the spirit world is the ultimate world, higher than the material world. In our true essence we are spirit; Spirit created us and Spirit created the world. Spirit is everywhere. Hence, the true essence of the world is spirit as well.

My thesis is that the material world is created to serve us. My thesis is that we are one with the world in its true essence: spirit. My thesis is that true man, man in his essence, is one with the world. For true man, there is no difference between himself and the universe. For true man, boundaries do not exist.