Shrunken inside out
This phrase popped into my brain this morning as I was thinking about the fierce power of fear when we give it free rein in our lives. When we fall victim to the lies of fear we often retreat while building walls thinking to protect ourselves. Yet, the fear lives deep within us and the walls merely lock it inside insuring that all the nutrients within us are being used to grow the fear. As the fear grows it pushes against our very skin turning us inside out. Since the fear refuses to show itself in a corporal form and instead remains this invisible amorous mass sucking the nutrients and life out of our very being our physical body begins to shrink and fall into itself. Now it is a raw, open wound which we must not allow ourselves or others to touch.
We protect the pain of this wound with drugs, sex, anger, food, power, and things. All work for a bit to provide a temporary scab or band aid. Yet, we continue to shrink. Perhaps it is because we are now so small and weak that we cannot even reach the mirror. Even if we could reach the mirror our vision is so clouded with our inside out vision that we cannot see what is left of ourselves. Those who love us may try warn us. Yet, the inside out wound covers our ears, our eyes and our hearts.
Soon our hearts can no longer keep beating and then it is as if our body has been teleported to some distant planet or perhaps it merely returned to the earth.
I am reminded of the Danish story “Kejserens nye klaeder” (“The Emperor’s New Clothes”) by Hans Christian Andersen. Our wounds are visible to all who are awake enough to see us. Those who have a vested interest in others not seeing their wounds will not see our wounds. It is only those who have known what it is like to live shrunken inside out who can bring the blanket of soft air which will not further inflame the wounds. This angel of mercy is like the child in Hans Christian Andersen’s story, who says “But he isn’t wearing anything at all.”
If we are to heal we must be willing to face the mirrors of our own wounds with that blanket of soft air. We must help each other heal from the outside in which is to say the inside out.
It seems that we are a nation of people who have adopted the habit of feeding the fear. Perhaps we need to non-judgmentally, lovingly hand each other the salve of love which will heal the wounds so we can return to our full size outside in.
Written December 29, 2018
Jimmy F Pickett
This phrase popped into my brain this morning as I was thinking about the fierce power of fear when we give it free rein in our lives. When we fall victim to the lies of fear we often retreat while building walls thinking to protect ourselves. Yet, the fear lives deep within us and the walls merely lock it inside insuring that all the nutrients within us are being used to grow the fear. As the fear grows it pushes against our very skin turning us inside out. Since the fear refuses to show itself in a corporal form and instead remains this invisible amorous mass sucking the nutrients and life out of our very being our physical body begins to shrink and fall into itself. Now it is a raw, open wound which we must not allow ourselves or others to touch.
We protect the pain of this wound with drugs, sex, anger, food, power, and things. All work for a bit to provide a temporary scab or band aid. Yet, we continue to shrink. Perhaps it is because we are now so small and weak that we cannot even reach the mirror. Even if we could reach the mirror our vision is so clouded with our inside out vision that we cannot see what is left of ourselves. Those who love us may try warn us. Yet, the inside out wound covers our ears, our eyes and our hearts.
Soon our hearts can no longer keep beating and then it is as if our body has been teleported to some distant planet or perhaps it merely returned to the earth.
I am reminded of the Danish story “Kejserens nye klaeder” (“The Emperor’s New Clothes”) by Hans Christian Andersen. Our wounds are visible to all who are awake enough to see us. Those who have a vested interest in others not seeing their wounds will not see our wounds. It is only those who have known what it is like to live shrunken inside out who can bring the blanket of soft air which will not further inflame the wounds. This angel of mercy is like the child in Hans Christian Andersen’s story, who says “But he isn’t wearing anything at all.”
If we are to heal we must be willing to face the mirrors of our own wounds with that blanket of soft air. We must help each other heal from the outside in which is to say the inside out.
It seems that we are a nation of people who have adopted the habit of feeding the fear. Perhaps we need to non-judgmentally, lovingly hand each other the salve of love which will heal the wounds so we can return to our full size outside in.
Written December 29, 2018
Jimmy F Pickett
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