Potential

Something interesting today. I had just cleaned and filled a water thing for the birds and a blackbird hopped in to wash, very thoroughly. All these other birds, young starlings, blue tits, a dunnock, crowded around to watch. The blackbird got out and at once the two blue tits perched on the edge. One hopped in and washed, flew off; their mate then hopped in and washed, flew off, and a dunnock looked like they were considering a bath but carried on feeding. The starlings had lost interest. Anyway, it struck me that it was like all of them were reminded of the affordance of water-as-bath by the blackbird. 

With horses, when one rolls, the others will often follow soon after. Almost like yawning, you know? It has this contagious quality to it. 

So, like, the actions of someone else have this draw, this opening out of the world?

I was off to the Reserve to do yoga. I set off past my kingfisher spot and ended up near Kairos. But I actually did the practice under an oak with a broken bough. I am very fond of this tree, but have never named them.

I like this little stump.

After the yoga I asked the tree about "the place between me and what I want to say".

They explained this was a place of humility, indeterminacy and becoming. It is where thinking is alive rather than reified into beliefs. You know the message is only words scratched onto the surface of the sea. In that place, you can only preach in silence.

I said, "But what if, for others, the message might be like the blackbird bathing, an unconcealing of possibilities?"

"The blackbird did not speak. He acted."

"So, I am to act?"

"You are to act."

"And what action?"

"Action that holds you in the in-between."

"So," I guessed, exploration?"

"Yes," said the tree.

I asked if could explore something there and then, an idea about foxes. I said all this stuff that I might want to say about foxes, and said, "So, what is there between me and all that?"

"Appreciation, concern, respect, and compassion," said the tree.

Does this help? At all?

Before I walked back, I saw this rather impressive healed scar on another oak.