We often find ourselves torn between worlds. Home, work, school, family, friends, etc. And that’s just the surface world. Inside each of us, a battle rages between the worlds of the past – what might have been, what was, and what we wish wasn’t; and the future – what we think we can’t avoid, what we hope for, and what we fear. These realities exist in our minds – with the present moment being the only real and tangible thing in our existence. But we find it very difficult to live in the present. Always flitting back and forth between alternate imagined or recalled realities.
Lao Tzu said:
“If you are depressed you are living in the past.
If you are anxious you are living in the future.
If you are at peace you are living in the present.”
Like many of us, our Alice is living a split existence and seeking a way back to reality – to the present moment. What makes her journey – our journey – so difficult is the “why” or the “how” associated with events we found painful or goals we fear are unattainable.
The two recent covers by Joey do a good job I think of expressing the concept of dual realities and the pain associated with these ideas. I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.
Now that I’m back home I’m also dealing with a range of challenges – past, present, and future which will occupy most of my time before returning to Thailand in 3 weeks for the start of Pirate Jam 2018.
In that time we’ll be back with several live streams where we can catch up on all your comments and questions.
We’d also like to set a new Patreon goal at 1000 Patrons – perhaps built around sending everyone a set of fabric sew-on patches inspired by Alice and related iconography. What do you think?
For the previous goal – the Inmate Certificates – now that I’m back to Shanghai Alex is going to design those, we’ll print and sign them, and then mail them out before my next trip.
TONS of stuff to catch up on! Expect another update in the coming days with live stream details and other news.
From Shanghai with Lulu,
-American