Mark Burch! (and more)

Yesterday Mark Burch spoke in our class. Yes, I had the honor to listening to him live. He told us about his own journey in Voluntary Simplicity. After that we got to ask him questions. It is always great to see someone whose work you have read. Words on a page, or on a blog for that matter, can be very dead. But there are humans behind them, and meeting the human behind the word is exciting.

He gave some good insight. He used the phrase "cycle of errors" to describe his own experience of VS. It is an energy giving practice, and this propels one to feel ready to take on projects, which drain the self, until one needs to simplify ones life again, repeating the cycle. I am glad he also has found in himself contradictions like this.

He also likes sitting still. hm. I really am holding out to the idea that dance can be a form of meditation--sitting still is so hard. Perhaps I will aspire to this when I mature to the ripe age of 50.

Another good insight he gave was in how to how one goes about catching a partner in Voluntary Simplicity. It is very simple, obviously. One only has to study Tai Chi with someone and then kiss them. hm. He didn't say much else. He learned this only after his second go at marriage, his first one didn't work out, for obvious reasons. Is it the kissing, the studying, the tai chi or the second go which makes it work, I wonder? Or am I being too academic in my thoughts.

Cant help it, tomorrow I present my thesis outline to the department. As I walk around I wonder why I am doing this, and whether my life will be irrevocably changed? Before that it is the last Prov Players (ie memorization test for Trifles), to work, and then baking for cat friend's b-day. Busy night. busy life. Unsustainable. silly cat.