Although highly enjoyable (at certain stages), falling in love is problematic. The first problem is who we can fall in love with. We can fall in love with anyone:
a gay person when we are not gay (or maybe we are gay but the wrong gender)
a married person who happens to be not married to us (or we could be the married person falling in love with someone other than our partner)
an unsuitable person in terms of age, personality, lifestyle, or future goals
or, worst of all, a person who doesn’t love us in return.
However, even if we fall in love with a gender and sexual orientation-appropriate, availability-appropriate, age and life goals-appropriate person, falling in love is still highly problematic because of the inherent dynamic of the process itself. This leads to our second problem – the design of the falling in love mechanism. Falling in love seeks to achieve a thing that it is incapable of achieving. It seeks wholeness but inevitably leads to pain, fear, and failure. We need not give up on love but we do need to understand it. Continue reading “The Trouble with Falling in Love”
Here is the previously unpublished final part of the Waldmeer Series, Faith: For Nothing, For All.
Chapter 36: Annihilation
Although the Lowlands army was primed and ready to attack, the little group at Floating Cave Monastery did nothing – nothing out of the ordinary that is. The six members of the household – Faith, Aristotle, Odin, and the three mystics from the other Borderfirma lands – went about their day as calmly and quietly as if it was peace time. It’s not that they sat in meditation all day. They had their normal prayer and meditation times common to any monastery, however, they also gardened, cooked, and cleaned. They went shopping to the local village. They talked about minor things to the villagers and asked them about their lives. They volunteered at numerous local charities. They did normal things, but they did them with abnormal love and inclusiveness. Continue reading “Faith: For Nothing, For All”
Here is the next part of Faith (Book 4 of the Waldmeer Series).
Chapter 31: Coming and Going
Faith and Rybert walked to the top of a nearby hill at sunrise. This part of the Lowlands was mostly grassland. The wind was cold and unfriendly and there were few trees to minimise its sweep across the hillside. Rybert and Faith both pulled their coats tighter. The sun would warm the land a little later but its warmth was only a promise at the moment.
“I don’t want to go back to Wurt Wurt Koort,” said Rybert. “I wouldn’t have come if I wasn’t intending to stay.”
“Yes,” said Faith, “I understand that.”
She looked out over the land. Soon the entire hillside and beyond would be filled with the armies from the Borderfirma territories. Continue reading “Faith: Game of Life”
Here is the next part of Faith (Book 4 of the Waldmeer Series).
Chapter 26: Salt and Sex In the Borderfirma Lowlands:
Floating Cave was sacred and secret. It wasn’t particularly hidden but only those who were meant to find it did so. It was a single cave within a large rock formation at the far end of Indra and her father, Peter’s, property in the Lowlands. An underground spring fed into the peaceful rock sanctuary creating a lukewarm pool. As there was no natural outlet for the water to pass through the cave, the water gradually evaporated leaving behind large reservoirs of salt and other minerals. Salt ponds are highly buoyant. In fact, it is impossible to sink in them and you have to make a concerted effort to roll over; not that you would as you would probably get salt in your eyes.
Unlike other salt lakes and ponds, the Floating Cave did not smell. Nor was it infested with brine shrimp and flies which make salt lakes unpleasant to swim in. Part of the Floating Cave’s mystery was how the water remained so clear, clean, and fresh-smelling. It was as pristine as a commercial flotation tank but it was much more beautiful and healing. Peter told Faith that he believed the monks, who had lived for centuries in the Floating Cave Monastery, extracted chlorine from the surrounding plants and that they would religiously treat the water so that it kept its purity. That sounded the most plausible explanation, except for one thing. Since Evanora had ruled the Borderfirma Lowlands, the monks had gradually disappeared until there were none of them left in the Monastery. Still, the water remained pure.
Faith stood at the entrance of Floating Cave. Gabriel stood behind her. A year had passed both in Borderfirma and Waldmeer. This was the first time Faith and Gabriel had seen each other in that time. They hadn’t spoken yet. Gabriel appeared next to the ancient bell of the Floating Cave Monastery a matter of minutes ago. The bell was a portal for interdimensional travel. It announced visitors with a ring and forewarned their departure with another.
Walking a few metres into the cave and gladly away from the early winter wind, Faith stood facing the quiet pond. Without glancing back, she began to undress; Continue reading “Faith: Floating Cave”
Here is the next part of Faith (Book 4 of the Waldmeer Series). The last few partshave been written in close succession, however, we will now have a break from the story before returning to finish this fourth and final book in a few months. I sincerely appreciate your sharing in the series which began with the first chapter, One Who Speaks, 3 years ago.
Chapter 24: Death Row
In Tierramedio:
Last time Faith was in Tierramedio, she hadn’t noticed the hallway beside the Mirror of Life. It had a sign, Death Row. She certainly wouldn’t have gone down the passage except that the Master appeared and pointed for her to do so. Knowing that he would not lead her into danger, she accepted the invitation; not wholeheartedly, mind you. Faith came to a room on her left. It looked like a hospital room. Entering, she saw a lone bed with a sleeping man. He was an older person who was probably in the last stages of a fatal illness. She read the notice at the foot of the bed Continue reading “Faith: Way Out”
Here is the next part of Faith (Book 4 of the Waldmeer Series).
“I feel the love, I feel the love, I feel the love that’s really real.” (Walking on Sunshine)
Chapter 18: A Thousand Years of Tears
In the Borderfirma Mountains: Aristotle hung his legs from the top of the three-storey tree house in the palace gardens. It wasn’t the same without Malik. Tree houses are meant for sharing; sharing adventures and secrets. The last time Aristotle was in this tree house was half a year ago but in those months, many years had passed in the Borderfirma Mountains. Malik had long since outgrown the days of playing in trees. Continue reading “Faith: Tears and Sunshine”
Here is the next part of Faith (Book 4 of the Waldmeer Series).
“Everyone who has come to Earth,” he said, “has chosen the ego and must learn, quickly or slowly, its worthlessness and its venom.”
Chapter 16: Move
Michael, the shy sixteen-year-old boy that Malik was training, stood in the cafe line. A group of similar-aged boys came in. Michael averted his eyes and hunched his shoulders as if he was trying to hide inside himself.
“Move back, idiot,” said one of the boys. “We’re ahead of you.”
Michael was about to give his place to them when he noticed Malik sitting at a nearby table. Malik was watching intently. Michael didn’t know what to do. If he didn’t move, the boys would get angry. If he did move, he would have to face Malik next training session. The boys also noticed Malik and paused to see if the gritty, no-nonsense man was going to do anything. All he did was return to his phone so the boys returned to their former aggressive stance. Although the boys had turned their backs on Malik and could no longer see him, Michael could see him all too well. Continue reading “Faith: Keep Going”
