Card Number Eight

For the record, the title of this painting, “Tender Churl” is from a sonnet by Shakespeare. It means something like "cute little idiot."

When I drew the card today it held a new meaning from my original intention. Today I saw its weird fantasy, and I compared it to my running thoughts throughout the day, which are about as true to reality as the unicorn and it's kitty buddy. Our mind commentary draws on ingrained prejudices, formed from a lifetime of experiences. Thoughts about things spring from this veil of unreality, rather than from direct experience.

I decided to do an exercise today. Every time I catch my mind making assumed judgments and stories about what I encounter, I'll stop and ask what's really happening right now. The answer can't be verbal (other than, I'm washing the dishes, etc.) I'll direct myself to just observe and experience the moment.

When I've completely engaged with the present moment without my coating of stories to obscure it, there's a joyful sense of freedom, and I find whole new layers of subtlety in whatever is in front of me.

While I practice today, I'll keep my expectations about how well I do out of it. Even if I only get two minutes of direct observation, it will pull me out of the absurdity of believing everything I think.

Share your interpretations of the card below. There’s always something new to see.