No Illusions

I know I haven't been here for a while, but I hope you'll understand when I tell you why. A dear friend of mine was in a plane crash ten days ago, and I've been thinking of little else since.

This friend isn't a friend I've ever met physically. Not even a friend on Facebook. But I've gotten to know him through his writings, both professionally published, and informally posted on his website. We've exchanged emails and commented on each other's ideas. We don't always agree, and not too long ago, I was royally annoyed with him.

But when push comes to shove, you realize what's really important.

Right now, the prognosis isn't great. He has a brain injury, and isn't "all here", as they say. But he and I, and his many, many family, know that looks can be deceiving, we have no limitations, it's all an illusion.

Illusion. According to Merriam-Webster: a mistaken idea, a misleading visual image.The image of my friend in a hospital bed, instead of flying over lakes and forests, is definitely an illusion. Doctors may think he's there, but we know better. We know he's just exploring other dimensions, soaking up atmosphere, maybe even visiting with his beloved Lucky.

In an old Star Trek episode titled "Spectre of the Gun", Mr. Spock is called upon to save his fellow crew members by reminding them that everything they see is an illusion. They are in the middle of a gun battle with aliens, and at one point, he reminds them: "If we do not allow ourselves to believe that the bullets are real,they cannot kill us! 

Spock's logic worked for the crew of the Enterprise. And it sounds great... convince yourself the bullets aren't real, and they can't hurt you. But even better, convince yourself that even if they ARE real, they can't kill you. Nothing can kill you, without your consent. (I can hear you arguing from here. hush.) The truth is,(a truth my dear friend was trying so hard to explain to me just days before his crash) the truth is, WE NEVER DIE. Our physical bodies might cease to exist, but that which is me, that which is you, will never perish. We're not bound by time, we're not bound by space. We're boundless beings.

And that's no illusion.